Reflecting on the Past
by Rue-xx
Summary: Okay, so this story was removed due to some disclaimer issues and I'm reposting it - It's my version of the gang reading the books! :) Please R&R! :) DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN VA, RICHELLE MEAD DOES. I ONLY OWN THIS PLOT AND NOTING ELSE.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, guys. So for those of you who have already read/followed/favorite(d) or reviewed this story before - I am am most thankful to you guys to checking this out again. My story was removed due to some reason as to how this was not my content to post, which confused me, since I always do disclaimers. :/ Anyways...I'm re-posting this, so I hope you guys read this. **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN VA. ALL CREDIT GOES TO THE AMAZING RICHELLE MEAD. THE TEXT IN BOLD ID THE ORIGINAL CONTEXT OF THE BOOKS, SO I DON'T OWN IT! **

**Okay, so I hope that's obvious enough. :P **

**Enjoy~!**

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**Chapter 1**

I awoke to the sound of someone knocking on the door. "Comrade. Could you get that?" I ask Dimitri who's lying beside me holding me firmly to his perfectly sculpted chest.

"Mmm…Do I have to?" He asks while the knocking keeps getting persistent.

Dimitri sighs and gets up to open the door – for whoever the hell had the balls to come knocking on my door on my day off – while I snuggle further into my comforter. Being the Queen's personal guard _does _have its advantages.

"Roza?" Comes Dimitri's voices from the doorway. There was something in his voice that made me get up and walk over to him. He was now sitting on the couch with three envelopes in his hand.

"What is it, Comrade?" He doesn't reply, instead hands over two of the envelopes to me.

One of them has the Gaurdian Council's official seal on it which was a circle outlining a stake in the middle with a lightning bolt crossing it from both sides – the Molnija mark – My eyes widen when I notice it's addressed to me. There in bold letters it says _GUARDIAN ROSEMARIE HATHAWAY MAZUR_ – I had taken Abe's last name officially after talking to my mom, It's a surprise for Abe so he still doesn't know – I discard it for another time and move onto the second envelope which is a simple plain one that had _Rose _written on it in cursive handwriting – handwriting that I felt was familiar, but I shook off the feeling and opened it.

Inside there was a note:

_Rose, You and Dimitri are requested to go to the Dragomir wing of Court to fulfill a task. Upon arriving there you will meet Lissa, Christian, Eddie, Adrian, Jill, Mia, Sydney, Abe, Janine, Mikhail, Sonya, Alberta, Olena, Yeva, Viktoria, Karolina, Paul, Zoya, Sonya, Mark and Oksana._

_ It is important that you meet all of them there and do as you are asked. This will help you reveal all that is untold and unravel instances that have been haunting you. It is also the perfect opportunity to tell them about you're increasing powers._

_ I will stay in touch._

_ R.M_

I finish reading and glance at Dimitri who is already looking at me. "Guess we go to the Queen's wing, huh Comrade?" I ask trying to lighten the weird mood.

He sighs and gets up to get ready. I join him in the shower – though, we don't do anything other than showering, Stupid Mystery Person – and after getting ready in my Guardian Uniform, I grab the note and the Guardian Council's letter and shove it into a Manila file that has a few documents – that might come in handy if everyone was there – and grab the keys to Sydney's present and my phone and then we're on our way to the Dragomir wing to do God knows what.

The bond tells me that Liss is in the lounge along with everyone else and is confused as to who the Belikovs and Mark and Oksana are.

When we get there, twenty-one pairs of eyes turn towards me.

"Oh, Thank God, you're here Rose. The wing's on lockdown and we don't know why. All of us just got letters to come here and wait for you. Rose, What's going on?" Liss asks with terror evident in her voice that I don't need to use the bond to know of.

_Lockdown? What the Fuck?_

Before I could respond, I was interrupted by a loud "Aunty Roza!" as Paul and Zoya rush towards me and tackle me in a hug. I laugh and bend down to take Zoya in my arms while Paul pouts.

"Hey, Zo! How's my favorite niece? " I ask her and had the pleasure of seeing Paul frown.

Zoya just smiles and hugs me while murmuring "I missed you, Aunty Roza."

"I'm here too, you know. Just cause you've Uncle Dimka now doesn't mean you ignore me." Paul says, still unhappy that I was paying more attention to Zoya.

"I love you too Paul." I say as I put Zoya down and hug Paul and ruffle his hair.

"Awwwwwwwwwww….." Lissa, Mia and Jill's collective 'aw' brings me out of the kid's haze and I register everything around me. Dimitri's standing by his family and all of them are looking towards me and the two kids clinging to me with adoration and love, Alberta, Abe and Mom seem amused, while the girls can't get over the cuteness of the moment – and yes, that includes Sydney, she'd grown closer to everyone in the past months – and the guys just couldn't seem to believe that I had a soft side.

"Okay, so is there anything in here? A note or something telling us what to do or what?" I ask, taking control.

"Yeah, there's a heavy-ass box and a note attached to it for you." Says Sparky.

"It's only heavy for you, Fire-crotch. You've no muscles." I say heading towards the Box that I now saw was in the middle of the room on the glass coffee table.

_Rose, Care to introduce everybody? I've a good idea who they are but still, an introduction couldn't hurt. _I hear Liss' voice in my head and look back at everyone.

I clear my throat and begin "Okay, so a few of you may be confused about each other, so I suggest you guys go one by one and state who you are, okay? I'll start. My name's Rose and all of you already know me so no need for further information."I finish with a smirk.

"My name is Lissa Dragomir and I'm Rose's best friend and charge."

"And the Queen," Christian and I say in unison.

Liss just rolls her eyes and Fire-boy continues "I'm Christian Ozera, Lissa's boyfriend."

"And my pain-in-the-ass." I add, making everyone but the idiot in question laugh.

The introductions carry on and I tune them out to read the note.

_Rose, I'm glad you came. Now you are here to read a series of six books –_

The Hell?! I'm not reading any books! But I continue to read what's in the note.

_Please follow the provided order:_

_ Vampire Academy_

_ Frostbite_

_ Shadow kiss_

_ Blood Promise_

_Spirit Bound_

_Last Sacrifice_

_ There may be a few surprise guests – that may include you summoning ghosts – and all arrangements have been taken care of. Oh, and Rose, you won't be let out until you finish the books. Enjoy!_

_ R.M_

I look around and see the introductions are done and everyone is looking at me. I turn around and open the box and take out _Vampire Academy._

"Okay, so we've been locked here by someone that has the initials R.M and we have to read six books. The first one's Vampire Academy. So, let's begin, shall we?" I tell everyone and all of them scatter around the lounge and find a place to sit. Dimitri was sitting on the carpeted floor leaning against the couch that Liss and Sparky sat on so I went and sat in between Dimitri's parted legs and leaned into him.

_Rose, you sure about this? _Liss asks me through the bond with concern.

I turn around and nod at her. After turning back around to face everyone else, I clear my throat and read out the blurb from the back of the book.

**"Lissa Dragomir is a Mortal Vampire."**

"Holy Crap! It's about us?" I exclaim.

"But how is that possible?" Liss asks.

"Would you guys just continue and see what happens. Maybe that will answer your questions." Mia says.

"Well, she's right. I'm just glad R.M didn't write Vasilisa. Go on, Rose. " Liss says, still not satisfied.

I grin and read on.

** "She must be protected at all times from the fiercest and most dangerous vampires of all – The ones who will never die."**

"The Strigoi?" Paul gasps.

I nod at him and he curls up closer to Karolina.

**"Rose Hathaway is Lissa's best friend – and her bodyguard."**

"Guardian," Eddie and I correct in unison and then grin at each other.

** "Now, after two years of illicit freedom, they've been dragged inside the iron gates of 's Academy."**

"I still hate that we had to go back." I grumble, while everyone besides Liss and I laughs or chuckles.

_Me too, Rose. _She agrees via our bond.

"_I _can't believe you managed two years." Mom says disapprovingly.

"Yes, Little Girl. How _did_ you manage?" Asks Abe, intrigued.

"I'm sure it'll be in the book, Old man. As for your question, Mom – We're Awesome!" I say smirking and turn around to high-five Liss.

** "The girls must survive a world of forbidden romances,"**

Dimitri presses a kiss to my neck and out the corner of my eye, I see Mom and Abe scowling. I mean, yeah, they had accepted our relationship but they still didn't like the fact that it began while I was still at school and was still Dimitri's student.

** "A ruthless social scene"**

"Yeah, Academy politics was worse than the actual thing." Liss exclaims.

** "And terrifying night-time rituals,**

** But above all, they must ****_never_**** let their guard down, lest the immortal vampires take Lissa – ****_forever…"_**

"Well, isn't this a happy story." Adrian remarks sarcastically.

"Oh, yes, Terribly. In fact, you get to read the first chapter." I tell him with a smug smile.

"But - "

"No time for arguments, Ivashkov! I want food. Sparky? Comrade? Would you do the honors?" I ask them.

"Of course, _Milaya_." Dimitri chuckles, presses a kiss to my temple and then heads towards the kitchen with an eager Olena and a grumbling Christian following behind.

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**God, I hope they don't remove it again! Anyways...I hope you guys enjoyed! Gimme some love in your reviews or PMs. :) **

**I might update quicker, depending on how many reviews I get. *hint hint* **

**Anyways...Till next times, Loves! ^^**


	2. Chapter 2

**_*A shout-out to Harmony Collins(Guest) for telling me there was something wrong; THANK YOU SO MUCH! ^^_  
**

**I'm back! Please proceed to put down all weapons and en-flamed objects outside, or next to you. I now I've been AWOL for weeks now, but I have a very good reason! I was in a medically induced coma. Because, apparently, when your heart randomly stops beating as a hobby, your heart muscle can e permanently damaged. Also, my lungs were screwing with me, so they put me to sleep to help with the healing process.**

**But, ignore that...UPDATE! Go crazy, loves. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own VA. All the text in bold - with the exception of this AN - is the property of Richelle Mead.**

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**Chapter 2**

After being completely satisfied with the amount of food I consumed, I turned towards everyone to see them looking at me with amusement.

"Gee, Rosie, where do you put all the food you inhale?" Christian asks.

"I exercise, Sparky. You wouldn't know what that is since you don't do it which explains why you couldn't pick up a box of six books." I retort with a smirk.

"Guys, enough! Adrian, would you please read?" Lissa, being our mediator, as always put an end to our banter before it escalated.

Adrian took the book from the table and went back to sit with Sydney. I'm glad those two are happy with each other. He clears his throat and begins. _Oh, Joy!_

**"CHAPTER ONE**

**I felt her fear before I heard her screams."**

"Son of a-"

"Language." Mom and Olena scold simultaneously.

"What's wrong, Roza?" Dimitri asks, concern lacing his voice along with his sexy Russian accent.

"Er…the book's not only about Liss and I, it's from my point of view." I say, annoyed and confused.

"How can you be sure? It's just one sentence."Jill tries to reassure me.

"She has a point, you know. Plus, I don't see how that even makes any sense." Mia continues.

There were murmurs of agreement from around the room but I knew I was right.

Adrian took my silence as a sign to continue.

**"Her nightmare pulsed into me, shaking me out of my own dream, which had had something to do with a beach and some hot guy rubbing suntan oil on me."**

"Well, now we know it's our Rosie that's talking here for sure." Says none other than Sardonic Smirk Ozera.

"The bond," Dimitri, Sydney and Adrian say at the same time.

"That's not what I was talking about. I meant the dream. Only Rose -"

Liss cut him off, "They're right, aren't they, Rose? This a scene involving the bond, right?"

"Oh, so that's what you mean by feeling her fear."Jill says.

"Yeah," I say, a bit shaken.

"Roza, we don't have to –"

"Yes, we do. It's the only way to get out of here."I respond and incline my head towards Adrian, telling him to continue.

**" Images - hers, not mine - tumbled through my mind: fire and blood, the smell of smoke, the twisted metal of a car."**

Even now, they went through Liss' head and I felt happy seeing Christian holding her close and comforting her.

**" The pictures wrapped around me, suffocating me, until some rational part of my brain reminded me that this wasn't my dream."**

"Rational?" The three Musketeers – Eddie, Sparky and Adrian exclaim all together and then grin.

"Yes, Rational. Now if you guys don't shut up, I'll…" I stopped, smirked and continued, "Let's leave it to your imagination."

I had the satisfaction of seeing them pale, even without threatening them, _directly._

**"I woke up, strands of long, dark hair sticking to my forehead."**

Dimitri wound his fingers in my hair and murmured, "Strands of long, dark hair that I love." in my ear.

"Rose, do you really have to describe what your hair looks like? I'm sure all of us know that." Mia asks, annoyed at having the minutiae stated.

"I'm thinking all this. I didn't know this was going to be read out loud. But you guys better brace yourselves, cause I take in _a lot _of detail."

"The mark of a good guardian," My mom acknowledges and all present guardians nod. That suddenly reminded me of the letter that I had placed on the little table a few feet from the door, along with my file.

I pushed thoughts of the letter from my mind and focused on the book, not that I needed to, I remember every single detail of that year as if it was engraved into my memory.

**"Lissa lay in her bed, thrashing and screaming. I bolted out of mine, quickly crossing the few feet that separated us.**

"Liss," I said, shaking her. "Liss, wake up."

Her screams dropped off, replaced by soft whimpers. "Andre," she moaned. "Oh God." "

Lissa buried her head in Christian's shoulder as the memories, once again, resurfaced. Everyone looked at her sympathetically.

**"I helped her sit up. "Liss, you aren't there anymore. Wake up."**

After a few moments, her eyes fluttered open, and in the dim lighting, I could see a flicker of consciousness start to take over. Her frantic breathing slowed, and she leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder. I put an arm around her and ran a hand over her hair."

"You know if I didn't know of your protective instincts towards Liss, I would've questioned you being gentle." Fire-crotch says and a few people nod.

"I love you, Rose." Liss says, getting down to hug me.

I hug her back and say, "Love you too, Liss"

**" "It's okay," I told her gently. "Everything's okay."**

"I had that dream."

"Yeah. I know."

We sat like that for several minutes, not saying anything else. When I felt her emotions calm down,"

"You know, I always wondered how your bond worked, now I'll finally find out." Sydney says with a smile.

"Glad to know this torture can be of some use to you, Syd." I reply with a half-smile.

**" I leaned over to the nightstand between our beds and turned on the lamp. It glowed dimly, but neither of us really needed much to see by. Attracted by the light, our housemate's cat, Oscar, leapt up onto the sill of the open window. He gave me a wide berth - animals don't like dhampirs, for whatever reason - "**

"Maybe it was just you." Viktoria says, teasingly.

I poke my tongue out at her.

**"but jumped onto the bed and rubbed his head against Lissa, purring softly. Animals didn't have a problem with Moroi, and they all loved Lissa in particular. Smiling, she scratched his chin, and I felt her calm further.**

**"When did we last do a feeding?" I asked, studying her face. **

"Rose. Please tell me this isn't what I think it is." My mom says, with a disapproving look.

"It is, mom. I don't want any comments on it, okay? I did what I had to keep her alive, I'd do it all over again."I respond with a glare.

**"Her fair skin was paler than usual. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and there was an air of frailty about her. School –"**

"School?!" Nearly everybody yells.

"I would've thought you two were off on vacation or something." Mia says, disappointed.

"Yeah, well. That's what Liss wanted and I had to go with it." I say.

"You know Rosie; I never thought _you'd_ go to school, _willingly_." Sparky says with a smirk.

"Again, I couldn't abandon her! My wants were – are – trivial in comparison to Liss' safety." I say with a glare.

"Rose. I know you're my guardian but that doesn't mean you put my life before yours. What would I do without my adviser? My best friend?" Liss asks, not seeming happy.

I simply hug her and say "Come on Liss, I won't die. Have a little faith in me." She just gives me a pointed look.

_Right! _ She says through the bond to drive her point home. I sigh and motion Adrian to continue.

**"Had been hectic this week, and I couldn't remember the last time I'd given her blood.**

**"It's been like…more than two days, hasn't it? Three? Why didn't you say anything?"**

"You fed her every two days?!" Mom asks, horrified.

"Mom." I say warningly, while glaring at her.

**"She shrugged and wouldn't meet my eyes. "You were busy. I didn't want to - "**

"Screw that," "

"I'd rather screw you, Little Dhampir." Adrian says, winking.

Dimitri growls but otherwise doesn't say anything.

Mia quirks her eyebrow and asks Dimitri and Sydney, "Doesn't their flirting bother you two?"

"No, they've accepted it like it is. They know what our friendship is like." I reply with a smile.

**"I said, shifting into a better position. No wonder she seemed so weak. Oscar, not wanting me any closer,"**

"Can't blame him." Firefly muttered.

"Watch it, Pyro. Your girlfriend needs me more than you. I'm her best friend, her guardian and her advisor. You're not as important so you better be careful, lest I make you disappear." I threaten with a glare.

**"Leapt down and returned to the window, where he could watch at a safe distance."**

_"Watch?" _Sydney asks with disgust.

"That is one messed up cat." Jill added.

"I'll say. How'd you live with it?" Mia asks with a scrunched up face.

"I sacrificed the comfort of not living with that _thing_ for Liss. I don't know why she liked it." I say with a frown.

"Well, I -" Liss began.

"Yeah, Yeah…You love animals. We know. Can we continue?" I ask. I _really_ wanted to get this over with.

Liss just looks at me amused while Adrian continues.

**" "Come on. Let's do this." "**

"Kinky, Little Dhampir." Adrian says with a smirk before reading on.

**" "Rose - "**

"Come on. It'll make you feel better." "

"You shouldn't be so persistent, Rose." Mom says exasperatedly.

"Janine, be proud of our daughter. She's the most dedicated guardian there is. I mean, how many Dhampirs do you know would be willing to let their Moroi feed off of them?" Abe says with pride evident in his accented voice.

"He's right, Guardian Hathaway. What Rose did was remarkable." Karolina adds.

"I guess you're right. I just still haven't gotten over the blood whore clichés. I know that you Belikovs are different but my cousins are horrible. I'm sorry, Rose." Mom says in an apologetic tone.

"It's okay." I say, smiling.

**"I tilted my head and tossed my hair back, baring my neck. I saw her hesitate, but the sight of my neck and what it offered proved too powerful."**

"You really have no idea how powerful." Adrian says with a lop-sided grin.

"Oh, shut it, Ivashkov!" I say.

**"A hungry expression crossed her face, and her lips parted slightly, exposing the fangs she normally kept hidden while living among humans."**

"Well, it's not like she could go parading the fact that she was a vampire." Eddie says with a smirk.

"Oh, screw you!" I glare at him.

"Hey!" Jill says, offended.

Eddie puts an arm around her and places a kiss on her temple.

"I didn't mean literally." I say with a disgusted expression.

Eddie smirks and sticks his tongue out at me. I just flip him off as Adrian continues.

**"Those fangs contrasted oddly with the rest of her features. With her pretty face and pale blond hair, she looked more like an angel than a vampire."**

"True." Pyro says as Liss blushes.

**"As her teeth neared my bare skin, I felt my heart race with a mix of fear and anticipation."**

I saw mom scowl in my periphery, and was glad she didn't say anything.

**" I always hated feeling the latter, but it was nothing I could help, a weakness I couldn't shake."**

"You've a weakness, Aunty Roza?" Paul asks, surprised.

"Not anymore, I don't." I say with a smile.

Paul looked immensely relieved that it was comical. I motioned for him to come sit with me and he happily obliged with a wobbling Zoya following close behind saying, "Me too, me too."

I grin and place Zoya on my lap as Paul sits besides Dimitri's leg.

**"Her fangs bit into me, hard, and I cried out at the brief flare of pain. Then it faded, replaced by a wonderful, golden joy that spread through my body. It was better than any of the times I'd been drunk or high."**

"Rosemarie." Abe says, disapprovingly.

"Oh, don't be a buzz kill, Abe. Every teenager gets drunk or high." Says, of all people, Alberta.

"You two know each other?" I ask, shocked.

"Of course. Alberta was the one that kept Janine and I updated on your life, you know." Abe says smugly.

"You were their spy the whole time?" I ask incredulously.

"Spy's too harsh of a word, Rose. I was merely the informant."She replies in an amused tone.

"Whatever," I huff.

**"Better than sex –"**

"Let him finish first." I say before my parents can say anything.

**"Or so I imagined, since I'd never done it."**

"You were a virgin?!" Screams everyone, besides Liss, that attended St. Vladimir's.

"Yeah, I wasn't the slut everyone made me out to be." I say with a scowl.

"Why would they think you were a slut if you were a virgin?" Vika asks, confused.

"Moroi men. It makes them look good." Olena says with a grimace.

"I am so glad I was homeschooled. I could never deal with stuff like that." Sydney says with a smile.

Adrian kisses her cheek and continues.

**"It was a blanket of pure, refined pleasure, wrapping me up and promising everything would be right in the world. On and on it went."**

"How much did you take?" Mom asks with her eyebrow raised.

"She didn't take much. If you guys would stop interrupting, you'd know." I say, annoyed.

**"The chemicals in her saliva triggered an endorphin rush, and I lost track of the world, lost track of who I was.**

**Then, regretfully, it was over. It had taken less than a minute."**

"See?" I say.

"Regretfully?" Mom asks disapprovingly.

"Give it a rest, Mom."I was really starting to get annoyed. Dimitri sensing this tightened his arms around me and began placing kisses along the length of my neck. The action did wonders to calm me down.

**"She pulled back, wiping her hand across her lips as she studied me. "You okay?"**

"I…yeah." I lay back on the bed, dizzy from the blood loss. "I just need to sleep it off. I'm fine."

Her pale, jade-green eyes watched me with concern. She stood up. "I'm going to get you something to eat."

My protests came awkwardly to my lips, and she left before I could get out a sentence. The buzz from her bite had lessened as soon as she broke the connection, but some of it still lingered in my veins, and I felt a goofy smile cross my lips. Turning my head, I glanced up at Oscar, still sitting in the window.

"You don't know what you're missing," I told him."

"You're talking to a cat, Rose." Vika says, amused.

"Was. This is the past, remember." I say with a crooked smile.

"Still. This proves that you were – are – insane."Christian says with a triumphant smirk.

"Oh, shut up, Firefly! You can't blame me. I was high."I say in my defense.

"Hey, that rhymes! Firefly – High." Zoya says with a grin.

That diffused the tension as all of us burst into laughter.

**"His attention was on something outside. Hunkering down into a crouch, he puffed out his jet-black fur. His tail started twitching."**

"I've a bad feeling about this." Sonya B says. Almost everyone nods in agreement.

**"My smile faded, and I forced myself to sit up. The world spun, and I waited for it to right itself before trying to stand. When I managed it, the dizziness set in again and this time refused to leave. Still, I felt okay enough to stumble to the window and peer out with Oscar."**

"You shouldn't be so stubborn, Roza." Dimitri says, burying his head in the crook of my neck.

"Wouldn't be me if I wasn't stubborn, Comrade." I say with a grin.

I felt him smile against my neck.

**"He eyed me warily, scooted over a little, and then returned to whatever had held his attention."**

"What was it?!" Vika nearly yells.

"If you didn't ask, you probably would've known by now." I say with a smug smile.

**"A warm breeze - unseasonably warm for a Portland fall –"**

"So _that's_ where you were."Mikhail says.

"Yeah, why?" I ask, confused.

"Well, they had put me in charge of locating you two before I left to find Sonya."He replies.

"Huh. Finding people isn't one of your strengths, is it?" I begin with a smile, "I mean, you never found us or Sonya." I concluded with a smirk.

"Yes, well, not _everyone _is as talented as you, Rose."He says, amused.

**"Played with my hair as I leaned out. The street was dark and relatively quiet. It was three in the morning; just about the only time a college campus settled down, at least somewhat. The house in which we'd rented a room for the past eight months sat on a residential street with old, mismatched houses. Across the road, a streetlight flickered, nearly ready to burn out. It still cast enough light for me to make out the shapes of cars and buildings. In our own yard, I could see the silhouettes of trees and bushes.**

**And a man watching me."**

Mia, Jill, Vika, Sydney and Sonya K gasped.

"So you _were_ being stalked." Sonya K asks.

"Yeah, sort of. But this is a different person." I tell her reassuringly.

"Is this when you guys get dragged back?"Eddie asks with a grin.

I just flip him off.

**"I jerked back in surprise. A figure stood by a tree in the yard, about thirty feet away, where he could easily see through the window. He was close enough that I probably could have thrown something and hit him."**

"Did you? That would have been so cool." Paul asks, excited.

"Sadly, No I didn't." I respond while ruffling his hair and then hugged Zoya closer to me while leaning back into Dimitri's chest.

**"He was certainly close enough that he could have seen what Lissa and I had just done."**

Dimitri nodded against my neck and then lifted his head to whisper in my ear, "I was truly impressed by your dedication to her."

I smile and focus on the story of my life – _literally._

**"The shadows covered him so well that even with my heightened sight, I couldn't make out"**

"I can help you with that, Little Dhampir." Adrian smirks.

"Oh, just read before I do something that I would have to make up to Sydney for."

**"Any of his features, save for his height. He was tall. Really tall."**

"Anyone can be taller than you, Rose." Vika says, earning her the honor of having my tongue stuck out at her.

**"He stood there for just a moment, barely discernible, and then stepped back, disappearing into the shadows cast by the trees on the far side of the yard. I was pretty sure I saw someone else move nearby and join him before the blackness swallowed them both.**

**Whoever these figures were, Oscar didn't like them. Not counting me, he usually got along with most people, growing upset only when someone posed an immediate danger. The guy outside hadn't done anything threatening to Oscar, but the cat had sensed something, something that put him on edge.**

**Something similar to what he always sensed in me.**

Icy fear raced through me, almost - but not quite - eradicating the lovely bliss of Lissa's bite. Backing up from the window, I jerked on a pair of jeans that I found on the floor,"

"You were sleeping in only a shirt, Little Dhampir?" Adrian asks with a sly smile.

"Yeah, so?"I ask in a threatening tone.

"Um, nothing." Adrian swallows, clears his throat and continues reading.

**"Nearly falling over in the process. Once they were on, I grabbed my coat and Lissa's, along with our wallets. Shoving my feet into the first shoes I saw, I headed out the door.**

**Downstairs, I found her in the cramped kitchen, rummaging through the refrigerator. One of our housemates, Jeremy, sat at the table; hand on his forehead as he stared sadly at a calculus book. Lissa regarded me with surprise.**

"You shouldn't be up."

"We have to go. Now."

Her eyes widened, and then a moment later, understanding clicked in. "Are you…really? Are you sure?"

I nodded. I couldn't explain how I knew for sure. I just did."

"It's creepy how your instincts are always right."Eddie says with awe.

I notice several people nod at this.

**"Jeremy watched us curiously. "What's wrong?"**

**An idea came to mind. "Liss, get his car keys."**

He looked back and forth between us. "What are you - "

Lissa unhesitatingly walked over to him. Her fear poured into me through our psychic bond, but there was something else too: her complete faith that I would take care of everything, that we would be safe. Like always, I hoped I was worthy of that kind of trust."

"Of course you are!" Everyone – with the exception of Zoya and Yeva – yell in unison.

**"She smiled broadly and gazed directly into his eyes. For a moment, Jeremy just stared, still confused, and then I saw the thrall seize him. His eyes glazed over, and he regarded her adoringly."**

"Hard not to." Fire-crotch says, kissing Lissa.

"Adrian, quick. Read before they start tearing each other's clothes."I urge.

Adrian chuckles but happily obliges.

**" "We need to borrow your car," she said in a gentle voice. "Where are your keys?"**

He smiled, and I shivered. I had a high resistance to compulsion, but I could still feel its effects when it was directed at another person. That, and I'd been taught my entire life that using it was wrong. Reaching into his pocket, Jeremy handed over a set of keys hanging on a large red key chain.

"Thank you," said Lissa. "And where is it parked?"

"Down the street," he said dreamily. "At the corner. By Brown." Four blocks away.

"Thank you," she repeated, backing up. "As soon as we leave, I want you to go back to studying. Forget you ever saw us tonight."

He nodded obligingly. I got the impression he would have walked off a cliff for her right then if she'd asked. All humans were susceptible to compulsion, but Jeremy appeared weaker than most. That came in handy right now.

"Come on," I told her. "We've got to move."

We stepped outside, heading toward the corner he'd named. I was still dizzy from the bite and kept stumbling, unable to move as quickly as I wanted."

"See? Letting her feed off you wasn't that great when you had to escape."Mom says, happy to have some evidence to support her case.

"Mom, I thought we were past that!"I groan.

Mom simply smiles apologetically.

**"Lissa had to catch hold of me a few times to stop me from falling. All the time, that anxiety rushed into me from her mind. I tried my best to ignore it; I had my own fears to deal with."**

"You were scared, Aunty Roza?" Zoya asks me, turning around to look at me with wide Belikov brown eyes.

"Everyone gets scared, Zo. "I say.

**" "Rose…what are we going to do if they catch us?" she whispered.**

**"They won't," I said fiercely. "I won't let them."**

**"But if they've found us - "**

"They found us before. They didn't catch us then. We'll just drive over to the train station and go to L.A. They'll lose the trail." "

"But, Mikhail just said that he never found you guys." Sonya K says, frowning.

Several people nod in agreement, sharing the same confusion.

"Patience, guys. We'll get to it eventually."I say.

"Yeah, but how soon?"Vika asks, ever impatient.

"It's in our first training session together."I respond with a smile, thinking back to that day.

**"I made it sound simple. I always did, even though there was nothing simple about being on the run from the people we'd grown up with. We'd been doing it for two years, hiding wherever we could and just trying to finish high school. Our senior year had just started, and living on a college campus had seemed safe. We were so close to freedom.**

She said nothing more, and I felt her faith in me surge up once more. This was the way it had always been between us. I was the one who took action, who made sure things happened - sometimes recklessly so."

"Sometimes?"Most people around the room ask.

"Yes! I am responsible, you know."I say with a pout.

"She's right. Nikolai told me about how his brother's team had learned discipline and planning from Rose and how it sucked that she was gone."Vika defends me.

"Aww…They miss me?"I ask.

"Can you blame them? You're amazing, Roza." Dimitri says as he pecks me on the cheek.

**"She was the more reasonable one, the one who thought things out and researched them extensively before acting. Both styles had their uses, but at the moment, recklessness was called for. We didn't have time to hesitate."**

Dimitri and I shared a look at the word 'hesitate'.

**"Lissa and I had been best friends ever since kindergarten, when our teacher had paired us together for writing lessons. Forcing five-year-olds to spell Vasilisa Dragomir and Rosemarie Hathaway was beyond cruel, and we'd - or rather, I'd - responded appropriately. I'd chucked my book at our teacher and called her a fascist bastard."**

"I remember Alberta telling me about that."Abe says with a wide smile.

"Who was the teacher?"Jill asks.

"I don't remember. Liss?"

"I think it was Guardian Jean, our teacher had been sick so Jean offered to substitute."Liss says.

"Huh. Now I feel bad for kicking her ass during my Field Experience. She's the reason I met you."I say with a smile.

**"I hadn't known what those words meant,"**

"Thankfully."Mom mutters.

**"But I'd known how to hit a moving target.**

**Lissa and I had been inseparable ever since."**

"I'm sorry for getting you into trouble."I apologize to Liss.

"No apologies needed, Rose. Getting me into trouble one time compensates for all the times you got me _out_ of trouble, don't you think?"Liss asks with a smile.

**" "Do you hear that?" she asked suddenly.**

**It took me a few seconds to pick up what her sharper senses already had. Footsteps, moving fast. I grimaced. We had two more blocks to go.**

"We've got to run for it," I said, catching hold of her arm."

"But that's absurd. You can't run in that condition."Sydney says with a frown.

"Wait for it."I say before anyone has the chance to agree with her.

**" "But you can't - "**

"Run."

It took every ounce of my willpower not to pass out on the sidewalk. My body didn't want to run after losing blood or while still metabolizing the effects of her saliva. But I ordered my muscles to stop their bitching –"

"First cats, now muscles? You sure you're okay, Rosie?"Pyro asks with a smirk. I swear he has a death wish.

"Buzz off, Firefly or I'll squish you."I say, glaring at him.

**"And clung to Lissa as our feet pounded against the concrete. Normally I could have outrun her without any extra effort - particularly since she was barefoot - but tonight, she was all that held me upright."**

"I got it!"Eddie yells with joy.

"Got what?"Jill asks, looking at him like he was crazy.

"An idea. How to win the next spar. I'd drug her first."He says while grinning.

Liss and I simultaneously flinch at the mention of drugging me.

**"The pursuing footsteps grew louder, closer. Black stars danced before my eyes."**

"Shit."Sydney, of all people, says.

"Really, Syd? Since when do you curse?"I ask her with a mocking smirk.

"Since I'm friends with you."She says in a smug voice. _Oh, I am so proud of her._

**"Ahead of us, I could make out Jeremy's green Honda."**

"Oh, speaking of, I got something for you."I tell Sydney.

"Really? What?"She asks.

"Your late birthday present."I say with a smile. "I'll tell you after we're done with the chapter."

**" Oh God, if we could just make it -**

**Ten feet from the car, a man stepped directly into our path."**

More gasps from the girls.

**"We came to a screeching halt, and I jerked Lissa back by her arm."**

"Good form, little girl."Abe says with a proud smile.

**"It was him, the guy I'd seen across the street watching me. He was older than us, maybe mid-twenties, and as tall as I'd figured, probably six-six or six-seven."**

"Six-seven."The god in question murmurs quietly in ear.

**"And under different circumstances - say, when he wasn't holding up our desperate escape - I would have thought he was hot."**

I groan. This is _so _annoying.

Dimitri chuckles and says, "If it's any consolation, _Maya Krasaveetsa_, I thought you were beautiful too."

**"Shoulder-length brown hair, tied back in a short ponytail. Dark brown eyes. A long brown coat-a duster, I thought it was called.**

**But his hotness was irrelevant now. He was only an obstacle keeping Lissa and me away from the car and our freedom. The footsteps behind us slowed, and I knew our pursuers had caught up. Off to the sides, I detected more movement, more people closing in. God. They'd sent almost a dozen guardians to retrieve us. I couldn't believe it. The queen herself didn't travel with that many."**

"Guess they were giving you a trial, Liss. To see how many guardians you wanted as part of your royal guard."I say with a smirk.

Liss just pokes her tongue out at me.

**"Panicked and not entirely in control of my higher reasoning,"**

"And, yes, I have higher reasoning."I interrupt before the D trio – Dimwit, Dumbass and Drunk head - can say anything.

**"I acted out of instinct. I pressed up to Lissa, keeping her behind me and away from the man who appeared to be the leader.**

**"Leave her alone," I growled. "Don't touch her."**

His face was unreadable, but he held out his hands in what was apparently supposed to be some sort of calming gesture, like I was a rabid animal he was planning to sedate."

"It wasn't like that."Dimitri exclaims incredulously.

**" "I'm not going to - "**

He took a step forward. Too close."

"Says the girl who shares a bed with him."Adrian says with a smirk.

I refuse to grace that with a response. Picking up on my response – or lack, there of – Adrian continues.

**"I attacked him, leaping out in an offensive maneuver I hadn't used in two years, not since Lissa and I had run away."**

"You should've practiced."Mom says.

Oh, yeah? We wouldn't be here now if I had practiced."I say challengingly.

**"The move was stupid, another reaction born of instinct and fear. And it was hopeless. He was a skilled guardian, not a novice who hadn't finished his training. He also wasn't weak and on the verge of passing out.**

**And man, was he fast. I'd forgotten how fast guardians could be, how they could move and strike like cobras."**

"Nice Comparison."Karo acknowledged.

"Yeah, I didn't think you were smart enough to come up with something like that."Mia says with a smirk.

**"He knocked me off as though brushing away a fly, and his hands slammed into me and sent me backwards. I don't think he meant to strike that hard - probably just intended to keep me away - but my lack of coordination interfered with my ability to respond. Unable to catch my footing, I started to fall, heading straight toward the sidewalk at a twisted angle, hip-first. It was going to hurt. A lot."**

**"Only it didn't."**

"What happened?"Vika, Mia, Jill and Sydney yell simultaneously.

"If you guys let him finish, you wouldn't have to ask."I say, annoyed. I was hungry.

**"Just as quickly as he'd blocked me, the man reached out and caught my arm, keeping me upright. When I'd steadied myself, I noticed he was staring at me - or, more precisely, at my neck. Still disoriented, I didn't get it right away. Then, slowly, my free hand reached up to the side of my throat and lightly touched the wound Lissa had made earlier. When I pulled my fingers back, I saw slick, dark blood on my skin. Embarrassed, I shook my hair so that it fell forward around my face. My hair was thick and long and completely covered my neck. I'd grown it out for precisely this reason."**

"But I thought you liked your hair long?"Liss asks.

"I do. But I'd only begun growing it out when we were on the run, remember? This was the reason for it."I clarify.

**"The guy's dark eyes lingered on the now-covered bite a moment longer and then met mine. I returned his look defiantly and quickly jerked out of his hold. He let me go, though I knew he could have restrained me all night if he'd wanted."**

"Really, Little Dhampir? Already planning scenarios of long nights?"Adrian says with a smirk, causing most of us – Translation: The teenagers – to erupt into laughter.

**"Fighting the nauseating dizziness, I backed toward Lissa again, bracing myself for another attack. Suddenly, her hand caught hold of mine. "Rose," she said quietly. "Don't."**

**Her words had no effect on me at first, but calming thoughts gradually began to settle in my mind, coming across through the bond. It wasn't exactly compulsion - she wouldn't use that on me –"**

_Sorry, Rose._ Liss says through the bond, thinking back to the time she had tried to compel me to stay at 's instead of going after Dimitri.

**"But it was effectual, as was the fact that we were hopelessly outnumbered and outclassed. Even I knew struggling would be pointless. The tension left my body, and I sagged in defeat.**

**Sensing my resignation, the man stepped forward, turning his attention to Lissa. His face was calm. He swept her a bow and managed to look graceful doing it, which surprised me considering his height. **

**"My name is Dimitri Belikov," he said."**

"So, the mystery man is revealed."I say comically.

"Not really, the appearance gave him away."Mia says.

"Speak for yourself, the duster was the one that confirmed it."Vika says.

**"I could hear a faint Russian accent. "I've come to take you back to St. Vladimir's Academy, Princess." "**

"That's it for chapter one. Thank God, I thought it was never gonna end."Adrian remarks, stretching.

"Time for you present, Lily Girl."I tease.

* * *

**Okay, first things first...a reviewer asked me if I could post all the previous chapters at once, and...I'll try to do that. 'Cept I'll be posting those daily and then try to revert to a weekly routine, okay?**

**Secondly, I need a Beta. Because I hate proofreading, and I don't do it. :3 So, I needs someone that can help me with the bold checks and typos and stuff. Look at it this way, it'll be like an early release of the chapter for you. ;)**

**Anyways, tell me what you think is Sydney's present? What'd you think about the D Trio? And why the strange behavior? Why Lissa and rose are bonded? What about Rose getting drugged? Also, what'd you guys think about the whole Mikhail finding them thing? I think everyone always forgets how Rose mentions that Guardian Tanner was at the Academy before they left, so I wanted to reflect on that.**

**Tell me what you think, and...just a random fact, I like long reviews, throw in some random stuff, those make me smile. But, ya know...a little critique ain't so bad. *wink wink* :P**


	3. Chapter 3

**Next Chapter, guys! :) And, I still haven't heard about the Beta...I really need one. Give it some consideration, if it's still a no, I'll just go on a Beta Hunt. :P**

**Disclaimer: I don't own VA. The bold text is VA Content, so everything besides that is mine.**

**Enjoy~!**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"So, what is it?" Sydney asks as she gets up from beside Adrian to come sit beside me.

"Well…"I begin, trying to stall.

"Oh, stop being so cryptic, Rose."Liss chides me.

"Yes, Your Majesty."I say with a mock bow.

"Rose! Don't call me that."She scolds me yet again. I swear the girl just needs an excuse to reprimand me, so I decide to tease her.

"Yes, Your Highness."I say, bowing yet again.

"Rose! I thought I told no to -" I cut her off.

"You asked me to stop calling me 'your majesty', I said 'your highness' Liss."I defend myself.

Lissa just huffs and gives up.

"Okay, Roza I think you've stalled long enough."Dimitri states with a half-smile.

"I wasn't stalling, Comrade."I say.

"Yes you were, _Milaya_."He responds before I even finish my sentence.

"Was not."Dimitri gives me a pointed look.

"You're doing just that right now, Rose."He says with a smirk.

I poke my tongue out at him and roll my eyes, turning my attention back to my car-crazy, architecture-adoring Alchemist friend.

"So, you ready?"I ask waggling my eyebrows.

"Oh, just tell me what it is already!"Sydney exclaims. I smirk and stand up, reaching into my pocket; I pull out a red key with a golden lily on the chain. Dangling it in front of her, I ask;

"Recognize this?" I have the satisfaction of seeing her eyes widen and her jaw fall.

"It can't be. The chain -" She begins, in denial.

"I had the chain special made. It's a golden lily with a red _S _on it, see?"I say while bending forward and flipping the ornament around to show off the cursive S.

"It's beautiful, Rose."Sydney gasps.

"Yeah, well, we unnatural creatures of the night do have a little taste."I say jokingly.

"Is it really -"I cut her off yet again.

"Yup! It's the _Red Hurricane_ alright."I say with a proud grin on my face. I still didn't understand what she saw in that car but I knew it would make her happy.

"I know you love _Latte_ and all, but I still remember the look of pure love and utter adoration you gave that car."I continue.

"Rose, this is amazing, but I don't think they'll let me -" Surprise, Surprise, I cut her off _again._

"Oh, they will. I talked to Shannon – she isn't really that bad – and your dad – I thought he was going to kill me – and convinced them. So, now," I pause for dramatic effect, "You, Sydney Sage are the official owner of the _Red Hurricane_."I finish with a smirk.

Sydney's eyes light up and she tackles me in a hug.

"Thank you so much, Rose!"She exclaims. Yup, definitely happy.

"Okay, can someone tell me what a Red Hurricane is?"Adrian asks.

"It's what Sydney named the car we bought in Russia."I answer for him.

"You mean the car you were whining about not being cool enough?"Liss asks with amusement.

I ignore her, pick up the book and move to sit besides Dimitri.

"What do you say, Comrade. Wanna read the story of my life? It's not a Western but I'm sure it has some rule breaking in it."I say with a wink.

"I'd rather read about your life than about keeping lawless bank robbers in line, Roza."He says with a smirk, referring back to something I said about his love for the West.

"Yeah, I know. Because you've enough trouble and action keeping me in line."I play along and quote his words back to him with a smirk.

Dimitri smiles and pecks my lips. "I love you, Roza."

"I know you do, Comrade."I reply with a smirk.

"Okay, Dimitri could you start reading? You know, before Rose engages you in a disturbing make-out session."Christian says.

"Shut it Pyro before I make you into a funeral pyre."I glare at him.

To avoid any more banter, Dimitri clears his throat and begins reading.

**"CHAPTER TWO**

**My hatred notwithstanding,-"**

"Hatred?"Dimitri pauses in his reading to question me, feigning hurt.

"Well, Yeah. What did you expect? You were taking us back to the Academy, Comrade."I say matter-of-factly.

Dimitri frowns and turns to look away. "But I stopped hating you a long time ago, Comrade."I say while pressing a kiss to his cheek.

He smiles at me and continues.

**"I had to admit Dimitri Beli-whatever –"**

"Really, Roza? It's not that hard of a name to remember."He says with an amused smirk.

"I know it isn't, Guardian Beli-whatever."I retort with a smirk.

Dimitri just rolls his eyes, chuckles and continues.

**"Was pretty smart."**

"Why, Thank you, Roza."Dmitri says, teasingly.

I simply smile. I love how he's being playful and teasing. We haven't had a lot of that recently because of the whole law issue, coping with the bond and Lehigh. _Guess this room is good for us._

**"After they'd carted us off to the airport and onto the Academy's private jet, he'd taken one look at the two of us whispering and ordered us separated.**

**"Don't let them talk to each other," he warned the guardian who escorted me to the back of the plane. "Five minutes together, and they'll come up with an escape plan."**

I shot him a haughty look and stormed off down the aisle."

"Ooohh….someone's not happy with you, Cradle robber." Adrian teases.

"Really? We're back to that again?"I groan, referring to Adrian's nickname for Dimitri.

"We never moved past it, Little Dhampir."He replies with a wink.

**"Never mind the fact we had been planning escape."**

"I knew it!"Dimitri exclaims triumphantly.

"How did you know?"Lissa asks, curious. She isn't the only one, I decide as I register everyone's expressions.

Dimitri shrugs, "I don't know. I just…even at that stage of our relationship, I could read Rose like an open book."

"Well, you're doing _exactly_ that right now, Comrade."I say with a smile.

_What are the odds?_ Liss whispers through the bond, amused.

**"As it was, things didn't look good for our heroes - or heroines, rather. Once we were in the air, our odds of escape dropped further."**

"You don't say. I would've thought the odds would've increased."Fire-crotch says sarcastically.

**"Even supposing a miracle occurred and I did manage to take out all ten guardians,-"**

"Wouldn't be a miracle now."Mia mutters.

"No shit."Eddie agrees.

"I'll say."Mikhail murmurs, probably recalling me kicking his and three other guardian's ass the other day.

**"We'd sort of have a problem in getting off the plane. I figured they might have parachutes aboard somewhere,-"**

"They did."Alberta replies, certain.

I give her a questioning look and Dimitri says,

"They made us take all kinds of things with us as a precautionary measure. She said and I quote, 'You can never be sure what our Rose is capable of, Belikov. Be careful.' I was actually a bit wary after that."He finishes with a chuckle.

**"But in the unlikely event I'd be able to operate one, there was still that little issue of survival, seeing as we'd probably land somewhere in the Rocky Mountains."**

"At least you thought these things though."Sonya begins with a smile, "If I remember correctly, you'd always act first and take note of the situation later."She finishes with a wink.

"You mean the time I punched Stan instead of Ry?"I ask, laughing as I recalled that day.

"I remember that! Stan wanted you to be expelled."Alberta says, chuckling.

"He always needed a reason to get rid of Rose."Eddie says, "I remember Ryan and the guys teasing you that you were feigning shock and you just needed a reason to sock Alto."

"I wish. But, no. That time, it really was an accident."

Everyone chuckles.

**"No, we weren't getting off this plane until it landed in backwoods Montana. I'd have to think of something then, something that involved getting past the Academy's magical wards and ten times as many guardians."**

"Yeah. No problem." Vika says with a smirk

Dimitri and I laugh. I, recalling my thoughts and Dimitri probably being have read ahead.

_What's so funny Rose?_ Liss asks.

Before I can respond, Dimitri continues.

**"Yeah. No problem."**

Everyone laughs at this. "I always knew you'd get along with Vika."Dimitri says, chuckling. I knew he was happy that I was getting along with his family.

"I get along with _everyone_, Comrade."I say with a smirk.

"She's right. _She_ was the one that changed my opinions about you guys, you know."Syd supports me.

"So, wait! I've Rose to thank for our relationship?"Adrian asks, wide-eyed.

That sends us all into another round of laughter.

**"Although Lissa sat at the front with the Russian guy, her fear sang back to me, pounding inside my head like a hammer. My concern for her cut into my fury."**

_Took you long enough._ Says an oddly familiar voice.

I turn my head and am met with Mason's smiling face, I gasp.

_Mase! A little warning next time!_ I yell at him mentally.

"Rose? What are you glaring at?"Eddie asks, looking at me like I'm crazy.

"Uh, nothing. Just got distracted." _Not now, Mase!_ I say and urge him to go away and put my walls back up.

I notice Liss, Adrian, Sonya and Oksana looking at me.

_Rose, what was that?_ Lissa asks.

I just shake my head.

**"They couldn't take her back there, not to that place. I wondered if Dimitri might have hesitated if he could feel what I did and if he knew what I knew. Probably not. He didn't care."**

"Roza!" Dimitri nearly yells.

_Oh, you've offended him bad, Rosie._ I hear a vaguely recognizable voice tease. There in front of me materialized my Comrade's blond best friend – Ivan. _What is up with these ghosts today?_

_Ivan…Go away._ I tell him, annoyed.

"Roza?"Dimitri asks, concern lacing his voice.

"Yeah?"I ask, all the while trying to get rid of Ivan and Mason – who had joined him.

"Are you okay, _Milaya_?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."I reply, as both of them fade away, but not before Mase whispers, _Tell them, Rose._

"Are you sure?"Dimitri asks._  
_

"Yeah, Just hungry." I really was hungry.

Dimitri chuckles and continues.

**"As it was, her emotions grew so strong that for a moment, I had the disorienting sensation of sitting in her seat –"**

Liss groans, having figured it out, probably.

Jill shudders, most likely remembering her own experiences. _Poor Thing. She had to be bonded to Adrian._

Mark just grins. _Lucky Bastard. Get's to be bonded with his lover._

**"In her skin even. It happened sometimes, and without much warning, she'd pull me right into her head. Dimitri's tall frame sat beside me,"**

"Do you _always_ have to notice his height?"Eddie asks, annoyed.

"Well, Of course. When you're as short as our Rosie, all you notice is other people's height."Pyro comments.

Eddie laughs and high-fives him.

"I notice people's height to evaluate them and anticipate how strong they are."I defend myself.

"Yeah, but mentioning it, how many_, three times_? Really, Rose?"Eddie says.

"Leave her alone."Dimitri says, _did I mention I love him?_ "She's right about why she takes note of people's height but that doesn't apply to me. You'll see eventually. Roza has a knack for commenting on my height."He adds with a smirk.

And…the feeling is gone. I glare at him, "Just read, Comrade. Or so help me, I won't touch you for weeks."

"You sure you can go that long, Little Dhampir? We all know how little your self-control is."Adrian teases with a grin.

"Oh, believe me, she can. Don't ever question her stubbornness."Dimitri says, probably recalling my kissing boycott. But in my defense, he ate my last donut.

**"And my hand - her hand –"**

"I know the feeling of confusion." Jill says, frowning.

"Oh, this is nothing. There was actually a stage when I wasn't sure if I was Lissa or if I was Rose."I say, remembering the first time Christian and Lissa had sex. Cue mental shudder.

"Will it be in the books?"Sydney asks.

"I'm pretty sure it will be."

**"Gripped a bottle of water. He leaned forward to pick up something, revealing six tiny symbols tattooed on the back of his neck: molnija marks. They looked like two streaks of jagged lightning crossing in an X symbol."**

"Rose, we already know all this."Vika groans.

"What did I say in the beginning?"I ask with a glare.

She sighs and pouts.

**"One for each Strigoi he'd killed. Above them was a twisting line, sort of like a snake, that marked him as a guardian. The promise mark.**

**Blinking, I fought against her and shifted back into my own head with a grimace."**

"So, you were only in her head to get a peek at Belikov?"Adrian says with a wink.

"Of course not. I hated Dimitri back then, remember?"I clarify.

"Yeah, but you still thought he was hot."He argues further.

"A fact that I considered irrelevant."I remind him.

**"I hated when that happened. Feeling Lissa's emotions was one thing, but slipping into her-"**

"Little Dhampir, I didn't know -"

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence, Adrian."Sydney says, effectively shutting him up.

**"Was something we both despised. She saw it as an invasion of privacy, so I usually didn't tell her when it happened."**

_Rose! _She yells in my head.

"How many times does it happen?"She asks with a scowl.

"I don't remember, Liss."I say, evasively.

**"Neither of us could control it. It was another effect of the bond, a bond neither of us fully understood. Legends existed about psychic links between guardians and their Moroi, but the stories had never mentioned anything like this. We fumbled through it as best we could.**

**Near the end of the flight, Dimitri walked back to where I sat-"**

"Couldn't stay away, eh Comrade?"I ask, smirking.

"Of course."He whispers in my ear, huskily.

**"And traded places with the guardian beside me. I pointedly turned away, staring out the window absentmindedly. Several moments of silence passed. Finally, he said, "Were you really going to attack all of us?"**

**I didn't answer."**

"The Hathaway silent treatment, eh Belikov?"Abe asks with a grin, "I, for one know how agonizing it is. So sorry you had to go through that."He finishes chuckling and mom smacks the back of his head.

"Oh, come on, Janie. Even you know how painfully annoying it is."He says.

"Not here, Ibrahim."She warns.

"Fine, we'll finish this later."He agrees with a wink and mom blushes.

"Guys, save it. I _so_ do not need to know this."I say, disgusted.

**" "Doing that…protecting her like that - it was very brave." He paused. "Stupid, but still brave."**

"Dimitri, generally when a guy wants a girl, he doesn't begin a conversation with an insult."Adrian teases him. I was really happy those two were getting along. Dimitri had become real close with Christian and Adrian.

I remember when all of them went to play pool and came back whining. Adrian was moaning that Dimitri had an unfair advantage because he had the skill and precision of a guardian. Dimitri had just shoved him playfully and said that if he hadn't drunk so much, he would've won.

"I wasn't trying to pursue my feelings at the time."Dimitri retorts.

"And he won't any time soon."I mutter, recalling everything.

"What do you mean? How did you two end up together then?"Sonya B asks, confused.

"Determination."I say, "Well, that and heartbreak. Lots and lots of heartbreak."

"Roza-"

I wave his apologies off, "Just read, Comrade."

**"Why did you even try it?"**

**I glanced over at him, brushing my hair out of my face so I could look him levelly in the eye. "Because I'm her guardian." I turned back toward the window.**

After another quiet moment, he stood up and returned to the front of the jet.

When we landed, Lissa and I had no choice but to let the commandos drive us out to the Academy. Our car stopped at the gate, and our driver spoke with guards who verified we weren't Strigoi about to go off on a killing spree. After a minute, they let us pass on through the wards and up to the Academy itself. It was around sunset - the start of the vampiric day - and the campus lay wrapped in shadows."

"I love how you describe things, Rose. It's amazing. I always knew you were smart."Sydney compliments me, smiling.

"Or it could just be you rubbing off on her."Adrian says with a smirk.

"This is all before she met me."Sydney says.

**"It probably looked the same, sprawling and gothic. The Moroi were big on tradition; nothing ever changed with them. This school wasn't as old as the ones back in Europe, but it had been built in the same style. The buildings boasted elaborate, almost churchlike architecture, with high peaks and stone carvings. Wrought iron gates enclosed small gardens and doorways here and there."**

"Any chance I can go there? It sounds beautiful."Sydney says wistfully.

"You can come with us when we leave for the Field Experience."Alberta says.

"We?"I ask.

"Oh, didn't you…Nevermind. You'll find out eventually."She says.

_Okay…_

**"After living on a college campus, I had a new appreciation for just how much this place resembled a university more than a typical high school.**

**We were on the secondary campus, which was divided into lower and upper schools. Each was built around a large open quadrangle decorated with stone paths and enormous, century-old trees. We were going toward the upper school's quad, which had academic buildings on one side, while dhampir dormitories and the gym sat opposite. Moroi dorms sat on one of the other ends, and opposite them were the administrative buildings that also served the lower school. Younger students lived on the primary campus, farther to the west."**

"I know you said you take in detail, but you already knew all this."Mia says with a scowl.

"Yeah, but I always recall and recount stuff. There'll be more explanation ahead, if I'm not wrong. I mean, we had returned after two years, I was bound to notice all this stuff."I explain.

**"Around all the campuses was space, space, and more space. We were in Montana, after all, miles away from any real city. The air felt cool in my lungs and smelled of pine and wet, decaying leaves. Overgrown forests ringed the perimeters of the Academy, and during the day, you could see mountains rising up in the distance.**

As we walked into the main part of the upper school, I broke from my guardian and ran up to Dimitri.

"Hey, Comrade." "

Dimitri smiled as he read this.

**"He kept walking and wouldn't look at me. "You want to talk now? "**

"Are you taking us to Kirova?"

"Headmistress Kirova," he corrected. On the other side of him, Lissa shot me a look that said, Don't start something.

"Headmistress. Whatever. She's still a self-righteous old bit - "

My words faded as the guardians led us through a set of doors-straight into the commons. I sighed. Were these people really so cruel? There had to be at least a dozen ways to get to Kirova's office, and they were taking us right through the center of the commons."

"Of course you'd know all the ways, Rose."Eddie says, smirking.

"Oh, don't be such a smartass. If you remember, it was because of my superior knowledge that I snuck you and Mase out of there."I remind him.

"Yeah, after you put us there."He says.

I simply grin.

**"And it was breakfast time."**

"Really, Dimka? How could you do that to them?"Karolina asks.

"I didn't think of it being breakfast time. I was just taking the shortest route."He defends himself.

"You hadn't been there long enough to know all the ways."Christian accuses.

"Oh, let it go, guys. Plus, he's right, it _was_ the quickest way."

**"Novice guardians - dhampirs like me - and Moroi sat together; eating and socializing, faces alight with whatever current gossip held the Academy's attention."**

"If I remember correctly, I think it was about the Badica and Voda wedding scandal."Mia informs us.

**"When we entered, the loud buzz of conversation stopped instantly, like someone had flipped a switch. Hundreds of sets of eyes swiveled toward us.**

**I returned the stares of my former classmates with a lazy grin, trying to get a sense as to whether things had changed. Nope. Didn't seem like it. Camille Conta still looked like the prim, perfectly groomed bitch I remembered, still the self-appointed leader of the Academy's royal Moroi cliques. Off to the side, Lissa's gawky near-cousin Natalie watched with wide eyes, as innocent and naive as before."**

"Yeah, right."Christian snorts.

**"And on the other side of the room…well, that was interesting. Aaron. Poor, poor Aaron, who'd no doubt had his heart broken when Lissa left. He still looked as cute as ever - maybe more so now - with those same golden looks-"**

I noticed that Dimitri was frowning as he read this, "Oh, relax, Comrade. I didn't like or_ like_ him." I say chuckling.

Realization dawns on the lovebirds faces and they blush. _You were in my head then! _Liss nearly yells in my head.

"I don't care if you liked him or not. That doesn't mean I have to like reading about you complimenting other people."Dimitri says, still frowning.

I kiss his cheek and say, "I understand. I went through the same thing in the Ski lodge. Except ten times worse because, well, you know."I say.

Dimitri kisses my temple and whispers an apology before continuing.

**"That complemented hers so well. His eyes followed her every move. Yes. Definitely not over her. It was sad, really, because Lissa had never really been all that into him. I think she'd gone out with him simply because it seemed like the expected thing to do.**

**But what I found most interesting was that Aaron had apparently found a way to pass the time without her. Beside him, holding his hand, was a Moroi girl who looked about eleven-"**

"I did _not_ look that young! Eleven? Seriously, Rose?"Mia exclaims.

"Yes, you did. Now shut up so we can read."I snap.

My moods had been crazy these past few days, I don't get why but they were. I notice all the spirit users looking at me in a scrutinizing manner.

**"But had to be older, unless he'd become a pedophile during our absence. With plump little cheeks and blond ringlets, she looked like a porcelain doll. A very pissed off and evil porcelain doll. She gripped his hand tightly and shot Lissa a look of such burning hatred that it stunned me. What the hell was that all about? She was no one I knew. Just a jealous girlfriend, I guessed. I'd be pissed too if my guy was watching someone else like that."**

"I think that's a hint, Cradle Robber."Adrian says.

"I don't need hints. I only have eyes for my Roza."Dimitri says while bending to kiss me.

**"Our walk of shame mercifully ended, though our new setting - Headmistress Kirova's office –"**

"Did you really use headmistress?"Lissa asks surprised.

"I'm glad you have some respect for others, Rose."Mom says, proud.

Dimitri shakes his head with a miserable expression, "Don't be shocked or happy. If Roza ever uses someone's formal title it means that she doesn't like them."He enlightens everyone.

"Yeah, and our Belikov here knows from personal experience, don't you?"Adrian says with a smirk, referring back to when I had ditched Dimitri to go with Adrian.

"Sadly, I do."Dimitri says.

**"Didn't really improve things. The old hag looked exactly like I remembered, sharp-nosed and gray-haired. She was tall and slim, like most Moroi, and had always reminded me of a vulture."**

Abe laughs at this and even my mom chuckles a little.

We all give them weird looks. "We used to know Kirova back in the day and that's what Ibrahim used to call her."Mom explains.

"Guess we _are_ alike, Little Girl."Abe says with a grin.

"Tragically so."I sigh dramatically.

**"I knew her well because I'd spent a lot of time in her office."**

"And that isn't a secret."Eddie says.

"Maybe not. But at the Junior Campus, Rose is a living legend. Everyone calls her a goddess."Jill says with a proud smile.

"So, _that's_ why you were so stunned when we met."I say with a grin.

"She wasn't stunned when she met you."Liss says, confused.

"Yeah, Rose. You were the last person to meet her."Sparky says with a sly smirk.

Jill laughs and says, "Actually, Rose was the first one."

"But how? She wasn't even here when we begun hanging out."Pyro protests.

"She told me to come to you for offensive magic classes sometime before the attack."Jill explains.

"Aw, man!"Sparky says, seeming genuinely upset.

"What's wrong, Sparky?"I ask.

"Well, I was happy with the delusion that Jill was one member of this entire gathering who didn't have a direct link to you. But guess all of us met only because of you."He says with a pout.

"Well, yeah. I assume that's why we're here reading the story of my life."I retort and nudge Dimitri to continue.

**"Most of our escorts left us once Lissa and I were seated, and I felt a little less like a prisoner. Only Alberta, the captain of the school's guardians, and Dimitri stayed. They took up positions along the wall, looking stoic and terrifying, just as their job description required."**

"If that's the job description Rose, then you're doing a horrible job."Mikhail says.

I just flip him off.

**"Kirova fixed her angry eyes on us and opened her mouth to begin what would no doubt be a major bitch session. A deep, gentle voice stopped her.**

"Vasilisa."

**Startled, I realized there was someone else in the room. I hadn't noticed. Careless for a guardian, even a novice one.**

**With a great deal of effort, Victor Dashkov rose from a corner chair. Prince Victor Dashkov. Lissa sprang up and ran to him, throwing her arms around his frail body.**

"Uncle," she whispered. She sounded on the verge of tears as she tightened her grip."

Liss curls closer to Christian and I'm overcome with immense guilt. He didn't deserve to die the way he did.

_Rose, I died the way I was supposed to. Don't blame yourself._

I turn my head and gasp as I recognize Victor's voice. Yup, Victor Dashkov's ghost stood right in front of me.

"Roza, are you okay?"Dimitri asks me.

"Yeah, I just-"I begin but Victor cuts me off.

_You need to know this, Rose. It's time._ Burning with curiosity, I excuse myself from the room and follow Victor to the next room.

"Okay, what are you babbling on about?"I demand.

_I should've told you the first encounter we had but for some reason it didn't feel right but it's the right time now. Rose._ He pauses. _You didn't kill me. Sandovsky's did._ I begin to protest but he cuts me off. _Why do you think you didn't find my ghost? If I had died in vain, I would've been there. But no, I had died because of my disease, my use of magic was too much and the exhaustion was what killed me. I was long gone before you hit me against the wall. So, don't feel guilty, Rose. It was never you. Even consumed by darkness, you didn't go off the deep end._ With that, he fades.

I walk back, stunned but happy. I don't realize I have tears in my eyes until Dimitri rushes toward me and begins bombarding me with questions.

"I-I'm fine. I'll tell you later."I say. Satisfied, he leads me back to where we were seated and set me in his lap, with his arm around me.

**"With a small smile, he gently patted her back. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you safe, Vasilisa." He looked toward me. "And you too, Rose."**

**I nodded back, trying to hide how shocked I was. He'd been sick when we left, but this - this was horrible. He was Natalie's father, only about forty or so, but he looked twice that age. Pale. Withered. Hands shaking. My heart broke watching him. With all the horrible people in the world, it didn't seem fair that this guy should get a disease that was going to kill him young and ultimately keep him from becoming king.**

Although not technically her uncle - the Moroi used family terms very loosely, especially the royals - Victor was a close friend of Lissa's family and had gone out of his way to help her after her parents had died. I liked him; he was the first person I was happy to see here.

Kirova let them have a few more moments and then stiffly drew Lissa back to her seat.

Time for the lecture."

"Ugh, do we really have to listen to Kirova's crap?"Christian whines.

"Come on Pyro, focus. This is my Point of view. Do you think I paid attention?"I ask rhetorically.

"Good Point."He says.

**"It was a good one - one of Kirova's best, which was saying something. She was a master at them. I swear that was the only reason she'd gone into school administration, because I had yet to see any evidence of her actually liking kids. The rant covered the usual topics: responsibility reckless behavior, self-centeredness…Bleh. I immediately found myself spacing out, alternatively pondering the logistics of escaping through the window in her office.**

But when the tirade shifted to me - well, that was when I tuned back in."

"How could you know if you weren't paying attention?"Paul questions.

"Well you see, Lissa was listening and I was getting a trickle of everything through the bond."I clarify.

**" "You, Miss Hathaway, broke the most sacred promise among our kind: the promise of a guardian to protect a Moroi. It is a great trust. A trust that you violated by selfishly taking the princess away from here."**

"It was not selfish! I have never in my life ever done anything remotely selfish!"I yell.

Everyone looks at me shocked. "Roza, are you sure you're okay?"Dimitri asks, always the concerned one.

"Yeah, I'm just a little moody. I'm hungry."I say.

**"The Strigoi would love to finish off the Dragomirs; you nearly enabled them to do it."**

**"Rose didn't kidnap me." Lissa spoke before I could, her voice and face calm, despite her uneasy feelings."**

"You know, Liss. You could very well be a guardian."I remark.

Everyone laughs.

**" "I wanted to go. Don't blame her."**

**Ms. Kirova tsked at us both and paced the office, hands folded behind her narrow back.**

"Miss Dragomir, you could have been the one who orchestrated the entire plan for all I know, but it was still her responsibility to make sure you didn't carry it out. If she'd done her duty, she would have notified someone. If she'd done her duty, she would have kept you safe."

I snapped."

"Took you long enough."Sydney smirks.

"You got that right."Eddie agrees.

"No shit." Adrian and Christian remark in unison.

**" "I did do my duty!" I shouted, jumping up from my chair. Dimitri and Alberta both flinched but left me alone since I wasn't trying to hit anyone."**

"Yet."Choruses half the room.

**"Yet." **Dimitri reads, causing everyone to burst into fits of laughter.

**" "I did keep her safe! I kept her safe when none of you" - I made a sweeping gesture around the room - "could do it. I took her away to protect her. I did what I had to do. You certainly weren't going to."**

**Through the bond, I felt Lissa trying to send me calming messages, again urging me not to let anger get the best of me. Too late.**

**Kirova stared at me, her face blank. "Miss Hathaway, forgive me if I fail to see the logic of how taking her out of a heavily guarded, magically secured environment is protecting her. Unless there's something you aren't telling us?"**

I bit my lip.

"I see. Well, then. By my estimation, the only reason you left - aside from the novelty of it, no doubt - was to avoid the consequences of that horrible, destructive stunt you pulled –"

"It'll be the book."I say, cutting my parents off before they had a chance to ask.

**"Just before your disappearance."**

**"No, that's not - "**

"And that only makes my decision that much easier. As a Moroi, the princess must continue on here at the Academy for her own safety, but we have no such obligations to you. You will be sent away as soon as possible." "

"What?!"Abe asks, outraged.

"Calm down, Old Man. I didn't get kicked out."I reassure him.

"But how?"My mom asks.

I smile at Dimitri and he smiles back at me before reading on.

**"My cockiness dried up."**

"That sounds oddly perverted, Little Dhampir."Adrian says.

We all ignore him.

**" "I…what?"**

**Lissa stood up beside me. "You can't do that! She's my guardian."**

"She is no such thing, particularly since she isn't even a guardian at all. She's still a novice."

"But my parents - "

"I know what your parents wanted, God rest their souls, but things have changed. Miss Hathaway is expendable. She doesn't deserve to be a guardian, and she will leave."

I stared at Kirova, unable to believe what I was hearing. "Where are you going to send me? To my mom in Nepal? Did she even know I was gone? Or maybe you'll send me off to my father?"

Her eyes narrowed at the bite in that last word. When I spoke again, my voice was so cold, I barely recognized it.

"Or maybe you're going to try to send me off to be a blood whore. Try that, and we'll be gone by the end of the day." "

"I'm sorry, Mom, Dad, Olena and the other Belikovs."I say before they can take offence.

**" "Miss Hathaway," she hissed, "you are out of line." "**

"When isn't she?"Adrian asks with a wink.

**" "They have a bond." Dimitri's low, accented voice broke the heavy tension, and we all turned toward him."**

"The hell! We knew you guys for so long and never figured it out and he knows after just a few hours?!"Eddie exclaims.

"How_ did_ you know, Dimitri?"Lissa asks.

"Mark and Oksana."He and I answer simultaneously.

**"I think Kirova had forgotten he was there, but I hadn't. His presence was way too powerful to ignore."**

"Of course you would know."Adrian says, smirking.

**"He still stood against the wall, looking like some sort of cowboy sentry in that ridiculous long coat of his."**

"It is not ridiculous!"Said person defends himself.

"I'd argue but that stupid coat has a lot of memories so I'm not going to abuse it."I say, evoking Dimitri to smile and kiss my cheek.

**"He looked at me, not Lissa,"**

"Well, of course. I just had this inexplicable draw towards you."He says.

**"His dark eyes staring straight through me. "Rose knows what Vasilisa is feeling. Don't you?"**

**I at least had the satisfaction of seeing Kirova caught off guard as she glanced between us and Dimitri. "No…that's impossible. That hasn't happened in centuries."**

"It's obvious," he said. "I suspected as soon as I started watching them." "

"Stalker."Chorus Adrian, Eddie, Christian, Mia and Viktoria.

**"Neither Lissa nor I responded, and I averted my eyes from his.**

**"That is a gift," murmured Victor from his corner. "A rare and wonderful thing." **I groan.**  
**

**" "The best guardians always had that bond," added Dimitri. "In the stories."**

**Kirova's outrage returned. "Stories that are centuries old," she exclaimed. "Surely you aren't suggesting we let her stay at the Academy after everything she's done?"**

He shrugged. "She might be wild and disrespectful, but if she has potential - "

"Wild and disrespectful?" I interrupted. "Who the hell are you anyway? Outsourced help?"

Dimitri chuckles and kisses my temple, tightening his hold on me.

**" "Guardian Belikov is the princess's guardian now," said Kirova. "Her sanctioned guardian."**

"You got cheap foreign labor to protect Lissa?" "

"I'm sorry, Comrade."I say.

"Don't be. I knew you didn't mean it, _Milaya_. No matter how much you disliked me."

**"That was pretty mean of me to say - particularly since most Moroi and their guardians were of Russian or Romanian descent - but the comment seemed cleverer at the time than it really was. And it wasn't like I was one to talk. I might have been raised in the U.S., but my parents were foreign-born. My dhampir mother was Scottish - red-haired, with a ridiculous accent – "**

"It is not ridiculous!"Mom exclaims.

"I think it is."I retort.

"I don't."Abe responds with an adoring smile.

I urge Dimitri to continue before I'm scarred for life.

**"And I'd been told my Moroi dad was Turkish. That genetic combination had given me skin the same color as the inside of an almond, along with what I liked to think were semi-exotic desert-princess features: big dark eyes and hair so deep brown that it usually looked black. I wouldn't have minded inheriting the red hair, but we take what we get.**

**Kirova threw her hands up in exasperation and turned to him. "You see? Completely undisciplined! All the psychic bonds and very raw potential in the world can't make up for that. A guardian without discipline is worse than no guardian."**

"So teach her discipline. Classes just started. Put her back in and get her training again."

"Impossible. She'll still be hopelessly behind her peers."

"No, I won't," I argued. No one listened to me."

"Yes but soon most everyone would seek your guidance and await you approval. You just have to decide."Yeva speaks, as cryptic as ever.

**" "Then give her extra training sessions," he said.**

They continued on while the rest of us watched the exchange like it was a Ping-Pong game. My pride was still hurt over the ease with which Dimitri had tricked us, but it occurred to me that he might very well keep me here with Lissa. Better to stay at this hellhole than be without her. Through our bond, I could feel her trickle of hope.

"Who's going to put in the extra time?" demanded Kirova. "You?"

Dimitri's argument came to an abrupt stop. "Well, that's not what I - " "

"You never wanted to mentor her?"Vika asks, wide-eyed.

"It's not that. I just didn't want to spend more time with her because I was already becoming involved with her. I would never have stoop up to a figure of authority before but I did for Roza and that scared me. Also, I didn't think I would be able to control myself."He admits, a light blush creeping into his features.

I laugh and kiss his cheek.

**"Kirova crossed her arms with satisfaction. "Yes. That's what I thought."**

Clearly at a loss, he frowned. His eyes flicked toward Lissa and me, and I wondered what he saw. Two pathetic girls, looking at him with big, pleading eyes? Or two runaways who'd broken out of a high-security school and swiped half of Lissa's inheritance?

"Yes," he said finally. "I can mentor Rose. I'll give her extra sessions along with her normal ones."

"And then what?" retorted Kirova angrily. "She goes unpunished?"

"Find some other way to punish her," answered Dimitri. "Guardian numbers have gone down too much to risk losing another. A girl, in particular."

His unspoken words made me shudder, reminding me of my earlier statement about "blood whores." Few dhampir girls became guardians anymore.

Victor suddenly spoke up from his corner. "I'm inclined to agree with Guardian Belikov. Sending Rose away would be a shame, a waste of talent." "

"Wouldn't it have played in his favor, though?" I muse.

**"Ms. Kirova stared out her window. It was completely black outside. With the Academy's nocturnal schedule, morning and afternoon were relative terms. That, and they kept the windows tinted to block out excess light.**

When she turned back around, Lissa met her eyes. "Please, Ms. Kirova. Let Rose stay."

Oh, Lissa, I thought. Be careful. Using compulsion on another Moroi was dangerous - particularly in front of witnesses. But Lissa was only using a tiny bit, and we needed all the help we could get. Fortunately, no one seemed to realize what was happening.

I don't even know if the compulsion made a difference, but finally, Kirova sighed.

"If Miss Hathaway stays, here's how it will be." She turned to me. "Your continued enrollment at St. Vladimir's is strictly probationary. Step out of line once, and you're gone. You will attend all classes and required trainings for novices your age. You will also train with Guardian Belikov in every spare moment you have - before and after classes. Other than that, you are banned from all social activities, except meals, and will stay in your dorm. Fail to comply with any of this, and you will be sent…away."

I gave a harsh laugh. "Banned from all social activities? Are you trying to keep us apart?" I nodded toward Lissa. "Afraid we'll run away again?"

"I'm taking precautions."

"Which is basically a yes."Abe remarks.

**"As I'm sure you recall, you were never properly punished for destroying school property. You have a lot to make up for." Her thin lips tightened into a straight line. "You are being offered a very generous deal. I suggest you don't let your attitude endanger it."**

**I started to say it wasn't generous at all, but then I caught Dimitri's gaze. It was hard to read. He might have been telling me he believed in me. He might have been telling me I was an idiot to keep fighting with Kirova. I didn't know."**

"Well?"I ask him.

"Can't say. It was a combination of both."He says with a smirk.

**"Looking away from him for the second time during the meeting, I stared at the floor, conscious of Lissa beside me and her own encouragement burning in our bond. At long last, I exhaled and glanced back up at the headmistress.**

"Fine. I accept."

That's it for Chapter Two. Now, come on, let's get some food in you."Dimitri says as he gets up, leading me to the kitchen.

He begins making something when Liss emerges with Adrian, Sonya and Oksana.

"Rose, we need to talk to you."She says.

"What's wrong?"Dimitri turns around to ask, concern evident on his face.

"Nothing. We just need to ask her something."Adrian says.

I move towards Dimitri, kiss him and say, "Don't worry, Comrade. I'll be back before you know it."

I follow them to one of the rooms and wait.

"Rose. There's something different about your aura and that in light of your mood swings…"Sonya trails off.

"What we're trying to say is…"Oksana doesn't finish.

"Little Dhampir, we need to know -"He looks towards Lissa for help.

"Rose, when did you last have your period?"She asks.

* * *

**Ohhh...What'd you think is going on? What about Sydney's present? And the ghosts? Did you like my take on Victor's death? Tell me what you think! **

**Also, I was drinking a Slush while Updating this - so, just for the heck of it...what's your favorite flavor? :P**

**Review! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Firstly, I'm sorry guys. I know I said I'd update the previous chappies daily, but I didn't get a chance. I'm part of the Publications team in a Model UN, and apparently it's more exhausting being part of the Host Team rather than being a Delegate. ._.  
Anyways, Tomorrow's the last day, but I figured I'd UD today, mostly because you're reviews and PMs were awesome! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own VA; You guys know the drill. **

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"I…what do mean?"I ask, dumbfounded.

"When was your last menstrual cycle, Little Dhampir?"

"I get what it means!"I snap, "I mean…why you're asking?"

"Rose, I think you know what we're asking and why we're asking it."Oksana says.

_You're pregnant, Rose._ Mase says in a bored voice.

_I need to control these stupid ghosts…how is this even happening. Ugh, you would've thought this would be easier._

_Mase…how –_ He cut me off

_Just listen to them, Rose. Listen to them with a broad mind._ With that, he fades away.

"We also have to talk about _that._" Mark says, entering the room.

"About what?" I ask, trying to stall.

_This is so not happening._

"The ghosts, Rosemarie." Sonya says with a tsk.

"H-how do you know about that? I mean, I get Mark, but-" I stutter.

"Auras, Rose. They tell a lot." Oksana says.

"You didn't tell me you could see ghosts again, Rose." Liss says, hurt.

"Well, it's not just that…" I trail off, uncertain on how to continue.

_There's more! _ She exclaims in my head.

"Also, _that_." Adrian says, pointing to me, then Liss, then back.

"I thought you said the bond was gone?" Sonya says quirking an eyebrow.

"Yeah….it reformed." I answer, exchanging a look with Liss.

As happy as we were to have the bond restored, neither of us wanted to relive the events of it.

"How?"Adrian questions with a scrunched up face.

"That's not important right now. You'll find out eventually. Back to the point – what do you mean, I'm pregnant?"

"Rose, your mood swings, immense hunger and your aura all indicate that you're pregnant." Oksana says.

"But – I – that's not possible! I only ever slept with Dimitri!"

"Didn't you and Adrian….you know, when you were accused of murdering Tatiana." Liss says, uncertain.

"No, we didn't. Little Dhampir here has impeccable timing." Adrian says, smirking.

I simply smack him on the arm.

"Rose, focus. You're pregnant." Sonya says, trying to get us back on track.

"But -"

"We believe it has something to do with Dimitri and your DNA formation." Adrian begins.

"Since you have been shadow-kissed, it altered your DNA." Oksana says.

"You remember when Victor said that Spirit is someone's essence and when you heal someone, you give a piece of it to them?" Liss asks.

"Yeah…"

"Well, when I healed you, I gave you some part of my essence thereby making you more Moroi than Dhampir." She concludes.

_Well that explains the weird powers._

"Well, that does make sense but I still -"

"There's more." Mark says.

"You're not the only one with altered DNA. Dimitri also went through the same change when he was restored." Sonya says.

"So, since both of you have more Moroi essence than Dhampir, we believe that enables you two to conceive a child together." Oksana finishes.

"So…let me get this straight – I'm pregnant?"

"Yes."

"With Dimitri's child?"

"Yes."

"But we're not sure."

"Rose, your aura-" Sonya begins but I cut her off.

"Is something only you guys can see…I can't just go with it. I mean, what am I going to tell Dimitri?" I nearly yell.

"Tell me what, Roza?" Dimitri asks, coming into the room with a package, wrapped in black.

"Well, I came to give you this. It was dropped off by the door." He explains, handing me the package – there was a small note attached.

_I figured you'd need this. ;)_

That's all the note said. I shrug,

"I'll open it later. Let's go finish my life." I joke.

All of them chuckle while exiting the room with me.

_Rose, we're not done talking. We still need to discuss this. _Liss reminds me mentally.

I ignore her momentarily and seek my next victim amongst the crowd.

"What say it, Ed? Care to give chapter three a try?" I ask with a smirk. I knew he'd never back down from a challenge, much less a challenge from me so he gets the book and clears his throat as all of us get comfortable in our places.

**"CHAPTER THREE**

**Sending us straight to class after our meeting seemed beyond cruel, but that's exactly what Kirova did."**

"I'm not surprised." Christian mutters.

All 's students murmur in agreement. Kirova was a flat-out sadist when it came to students.

**"Lissa was led away, and I watched her go, glad the bond would allow me to keep reading her emotional temperature."**

"Emotional Temperature, Really Rose?" Liss asks, exasperated.

I just smile angelically at her. Seeing my expression, Eddie snorts and continues.

**"They actually sent me to one of the guidance counselors first. He was an ancient Moroi guy, one I remembered from before I'd left. I honestly couldn't believe he was still around. The guy was so freaking old, he should have retired. Or died."**

"Oh, I remember him. You're right he should have died or retired." Mia says.

"I'm always right." I declare with a narcissistic grin.

Everyone just rolls their eyes as Eddie reads on.

**"The visit took all of five minutes. He said nothing about my return – "**

"Disappointed, Rosie?" Firefly asks.

"No, just offended. I mean, who doesn't question the escapee princess' accomplice's return?" I say, scoffing.

There are snorts, snickers and chuckles all around the room.

**"And asked a few questions about what classes I'd taken in Chicago and Portland. He compared those against my old file and hastily scrawled out a new schedule. I took it sullenly and headed out to my first class.**

**1st Period Advanced Guardian Combat Techniques**

**2nd Period Bodyguard Theory and Personal Protection 3  
**

**3rd Period Weight Training and Conditioning**

4th Period Senior Language Arts (Novices)"

"I'm so glad to be over and done with that part of the life." Eddie exclaims.

"I thought you guys liked training and practice." Sydney says, confused.

"We do. He just means the classes and instructors." I clarify.

"One instructor." Eddie simplifies and both of us smirk at each other.

**"-Lunch –"**

"Speaking of – I'm hungry." I say, pouting.

Dimitri chuckles as he gets up to move to the kitchen. I look at him questioningly but he doesn't glance back. He returns not a minute later with a plate of cookies and crackers.

"I made these when you bailed on me." He says with a smile and I remember that he had been making something for me to eat before I was ambushed by the spirit users. My hunger had been overcome – momentarily – by shock.

I grin and accept the plate, kissing his cheek in gratitude.

**"5th Period Animal Behavior and Physiology**

6th Period Pre-calculus

7th Period Moroi Culture 4

8th Period Slavic Art"

"Ugh, Academy days are so long." Christian groans.

"No kidding." Vika says, "They're even longer in Russia. I still don't get how Dimka managed to stay the best student in combat and academics with so many hours of school." She frowns.

Dimitri just smiles.

**"Ugh. I'd forgotten how long the Academy's school day was."**

Sparky, Vika and I exchange grins.

**"Novices and Moroi took separate classes during the first half of the day, which meant I wouldn't see Lissa until after lunch - if we had any afternoon classes together. Most of them were standard senior classes, so I felt my odds were pretty good. Slavic art struck me as the kind of elective no one signed up for, so hopefully they'd stuck her in there too."**

"Smart Deduction, Rose. I knew they made the right choice." Mom says with a proud grin.

_Okay, weir-_

"Yes, I'm so happy with the decision." Alberta says smiling at me.

"The final say is still hers. She doesn't even know yet so don't give it away." Dimitri says, frowning.

"What the -" I begin but Eddie begins reading, effectively silencing me.

**"Dimitri and Alberta escorted me to the guardians' gym for first period, neither one acknowledging my existence."**

"I was thinking about you though." Dimitri whispers as he leans in to kiss me just behind my ear.

**"Walking behind them, I saw how Alberta wore her hair in a short, pixie cut that showed her promise mark and molnija marks. A lot of female guardians did this. It didn't matter so much for me now, since my neck had no tattoos yet, but I didn't want to ever cut my hair."**

I feel Dimitri smile against my skin as he gently begins playing with the ends of my hair.

Yeah, I loved my hair but I need to remember to tie it properly otherwise it's deadly in combat.

I shudder internally, recalling the events of that day.

**"She and Dimitri didn't say anything and walked along almost like it was any other day. When we arrived, the reactions of my peers indicated it was anything but. They were in the middle of setting up when we entered the gym, and just like in the commons, all eyes fell on me. I couldn't decide if I felt like a rock star or a circus freak."**

"Oh, I know!" Paul says enthusiastically.

"Well…?" I ask, grinning.

"Rose Hathaway." He says, pleased with himself.

Everyone starts laughing but I'm confused.

_The Hell?_

Dimitri, noticing my confusion asks Paul to explain.

"Well, you're Rose Hathaway. That's why the attention was on you. You're a legend Aunty Roza. When I told my friends that you were my aunt, they were awe-struck." He says.

I just smile at him, amused.

**"All right, then. If I was going to be stuck here for a while, I wasn't going to act afraid of them all anymore."**

"Um, Rose? Staring us all down with your look of indifference is kind of intimidating, not the other way around." Eddie says, causing me and the others to laugh.

**"Lissa and I had once held this school's respect, and it was time to remind everyone of that. Scanning the staring, openmouthed novices, I looked for a familiar face. Most of them were guys. One caught my eye, and I could barely hold back my grin."**

"Who was it?" Vika practically squeals.

"Wait and find out." I say grinning.

**" "Hey Mason, wipe the drool off your face."**

"Wait, Mason as in Mason Ashford?" Sydney asks.

Most of us nod and Sydney comes over to where I'm sitting and hugs me,

"Are you sure you'll be alright reading this?" She asks.

I simply nod. I might miss having Mase around but I still have contact with him.

"Wait – You talked to her about Ashford?" Adrian asks.

"Yeah, why?"

"But you never talked to me about him…even when we were dating." He says, pouting.

"Eh, well. I didn't talk to you about Dimitri either." I smirk.

He just huffs and crosses him arms, making us all chuckle at his antics.

**"If you're going to think about me naked, do it on your own time." "**

I feel Dimitri frown against my skin, making me smile.

**"A few snorts and snickers broke the awed silence, and Mason Ashford snapped out of his haze, giving me a lopsided smile. With red hair that stuck up everywhere and a smattering of freckles, he was nice-looking, though not exactly hot."**

_Hey! I am hot!_ Mase says.

I groan out loud.

_Go away, Mase_. I say, annoyed

I felt all the spirit users scrutinizing me.

Mase was about to say something but I push him back into the world of the dead.

"Roza?"

"Don't worry, Comrade. I'm fine." I assure him.

He was about to say something else but I silence him by turning in his arms and pecking him.

**"He was also one of the funniest guys I knew. We'd been good friends back in the day."**

"Back in the day? Really Rose?" Mia asks, giggling.

I just stick my tongue out at her, resisting the urge to flip her off for Paul and Zoya's sake.

**" "This is my time, Hathaway. I'm leading today's session."**

"Oh yeah?" I retorted. "Huh. Well, I guess this is a good time to think about me naked, then." "

"Damn, Little Dhampir. I'd kill to have been a dhampir at 's." Adrian says, smirking.

"If that were the case, you'd be the worst, _Guardian Ivashkov_." I say, laughing out right.

**" "It's always a good a time to think about you naked," added someone nearby, breaking the tension further. Eddie Castile."**

"Eddie?!" Nearly everyone screams.

**"Another friend of mine.**

**Dimitri shook his head and walked off, muttering something in Russian that didn't sound complimentary."**

"What did you say, Comrade?"

"Well, I…Heh, I said 'Lord, Help Me'" He admits, sheepishly.

"Seriously?" I exclaim, incredulous and wiggle myself out of his arms to go sit with Vika.

"Oh, Come on! Roza…please, I-" He begins but I cut him off with a glare, motioning Eddie to continue.

Dimitri heaves a high and cradles his head in his hands.

Now, I'm not mad at Dimitri, obviously. I just want to tease him by making him believe that comment offended me.

**"But as for me…well, just like that, I was one of the novices again. They were an easygoing bunch, less focused on pedigree and politics than the Moroi students."**

"Lucky Bastards." I hear Christian mutter and all the moroi nodded their head in silent agreement.

**"The class engulfed me, and I found myself laughing and seeing those I'd nearly forgotten about. Everyone wanted to know where we'd been; apparently Lissa and I had become legends. I couldn't tell them why we'd left, of course, so I offered up a lot of taunts and wouldn't-you-like-to-knows that served just as well.**

The happy reunion lasted a few more minutes before the adult guardian who oversaw the training came over and scolded Mason for neglecting his duties."

"Fifty bucks says that Belikov tipped them off because he was jealous." Adrian says.

"I second that." Fire-crotch says, smirking.

Dimitri groans, "Guys, come on! She's already not talking to me. Do you really wanna fuel the fire?"

Both of them exchange glances and reply, "Yes!"

Dimitri just sighs. I get up and go over to him, "Comrade?"

"Hmm…"

"_Did_ you tip them off?"

"Well, I-"

"Yes or No-"

Dimitri sighs and says, "Yes. But Roza, I was just jealous, as stupid as that is."

I simply grin and kiss his forehead, "I'm not mad, Comrade. I never was, I was just teasing you."

He just shakes his head, smiling up at me.

And like that, I was in his arms again.

**"Still grinning, he barked out orders to everyone, explaining what exercises to start with. Uneasily I realized I didn't know most of them."**

"Well, you shouldn't have left." Mom mutters.

**" "Come on, Hathaway," he said, taking my arm. "You can be my partner. Let's see what you've been doing all this time."**

An hour later, he had his answer.

"Not practicing, huh?"

"Ow," I groaned, momentarily incapable of normal speech."

"Since when were you ever capable of normal speech, Rose?" Liss, of all people, says.

I just glare at her playfully.

**"He extended a hand and helped me up from the mat he'd knocked me down on - about fifty times."**

"Yeah…he bragged about it for days later." Eddie says, smiling sadly.

"Well, so would you if you had managed to beat_ me_." I say, smirking**.**

**" "I hate you," I told him, rubbing a spot on my thigh that was going to have a wicked bruise tomorrow."**

"Did it?" Zoya asks, wide-eyed.

"I don't remember." I say, frowning.

**" "You'd hate me more if I held back." "**

"Don't we know it." Mikhail says, grinning.

"Hey, you deserved to be yelled at for going easy on me."

"Why would you go easy on her?" Jill asks.

"Because it was during her recovery period after the whole Tasha incident." Dimitri says.

"Then why didn't she come to you?" Mia asks him.

"Because Dimitri and Eddie refused." Mikhail replies.

"And you didn't?!" Liss asks, horrified.

"Well, no. She brought up the whole fact that I owed her." He says, frowning.

I just grin as Liss, Dimitri, Mom, Dad and Sonya shake their heads at me.

**" "Yeah, that's true," I agreed, staggering along as the class put the equipment back.  
**

**"You actually did okay."**

"What? I just had my ass handed to me." "

"At least she admits." Sparky says with a smirk.

**" "Well, of course you did. It's been two years. But hey, you're still walking. That's something." He grinned mockingly."**

"I do miss Mase's mockery." Eddie says with a pained expression.

I get up and hug him but before I can say anything, Yeva says,

"You won't for long, child."

Eddie and I freeze.

"W-what does that mean?" He asks.

"Ask Rose. She's been working on it, haven't you?" Yeva retorts and then I get it.

I wave Eddie off as he turns to me, "Just read."

**" "Did I mention I hate you?" "**

_Oh, you know you love me!_ Mason's voice drifts off to me.

_Ugh, I really need to control this, otherwise I'm gonna go mad._

I ignore him, willing him to go away.

**"He flashed me another smile, which quickly faded to something more serious. "Don't take this the wrong way…I mean, you really are a scrapper, but there's no way you'll be able to take your trials in the spring - " "**

"Ah, but I did…and I was awesome!" I say with a triumphant grin.

Dimitri pulls me closer with a pained expression and tortured sigh. I realize, with a start that he had missed my trials and probably regretted that. I turn around to look at him but before I can comfort him, Alberta interrupts,

"Don't worry, Dimitri. We have _everything_ recorded. Rose's trial was the best. The tactics she used were remarkable. The council is even considering making them a part of the novice's curriculum."

She finishes with utter joy and pride; I gasp…_My techniques – In the novice's curriculum?_

Dimitri sighs, "It's not that. I mean, yes, I want to see Rose's trials but I had wanted to be there with her. I had imagined her trials so many times, with me being there to calm her down before she went out there, to ease her nerves. I had always imagined picking her up and kissing her after she emerged successful from her trials but I wasn't even there to mentor her before them. Instead, I was the reason she fled the academy the second time -"

As touching as his speech was, I didn't want the guilt to consume him so I gently interrupt him; touching his arm, I say,

"You _were_ there for me, Comrade. You always have and you always will." He opens his mouth but I continue, "It'll hopefully be in the books."

He stares at me intently for a while before nodding and kissing my temple.

**" "They're making me take extra practice sessions," I explained. Not that it mattered. I planned on getting Lissa and me out of here before these practices really became an issue. "I'll be ready."**

"Extra sessions with who?"

"That tall guy. Dimitri." "

"You know, so far I'm not seeing any substantial proof of how you two end up together." Karo says, frowning.

"Tall guy? Really Roza?" Dimitri asks in exasperation.

I just smile angelically at him.

**"Mason stopped walking and stared at me. "You're putting in extra time with Belikov?"**

**"Yeah, so what?"  
**

**"So the man is a god."**

"So _that's_ where you got it from." Dimitri exclaims, baffled.

"Well, kind of. Mase was the one to introduce the idea to me but that was pretty much everyone's opinion of you." I say grinning.

Dimitri just shakes his head, muttering too low under his breath that even I didn't understand – and I was pressed up against him.

**" "Exaggerate much?" I asked.**

**"No, I'm serious. I mean, he's all quiet and antisocial usually, but when he fights…wow."**

"I'm getting the feeling this Mason is in love with Dimka rather than you, Rose." Vika says, smirking.

I just roll my eyes at her.

**"If you think you're hurting now, you're going to be dead when he's done with you."**

**Great. Something else to improve my day.**

I elbowed him and went on to second period. That class covered the essentials of being a bodyguard and was required for all seniors. Actually, it was the third in a series that had started junior year. That meant I was behind in this class too, but I hoped protecting Lissa in the real world had given me some insight.

Our instructor was Stan Alto,-"

Eddie and I groan.

**"Whom we referred to simply as "Stan" behind his back and "Guardian Alto" in formal settings. He was a little older than Dimitri, but not nearly as tall, and he always looked pissed off."**

"Do you compare_ everyone_ to the Cradle Robber, Little Dhampir?"

Thinking back, I kind of _did_, so I refrain from answering.

Adrian just smirks, no doubt knowing my line of though – which, with his aura-reading skills, he probably had an idea.

**"Today, that look intensified when he walked into the classroom and saw me sitting there. His eyes widened in mock surprise as he circled the room and came to stand beside my desk.**

**"What's this? No one told me we had a guest speaker here today. Rose Hathaway. What a privilege! How very generous of you to take time out of your busy schedule and share your knowledge with us."**

**I felt my cheeks burning, but in a great show of self-control, I stopped myself from telling him to fuck off. I'm pretty sure my face must have delivered that message, however, because his sneer increased."**

"Did it ever – I was kind of surprised you didn't snap." Eddie says.

**"He gestured for me to stand up.**

**"Well, come on, come on. Don't sit there! Come up to the front so you can help me lecture the class."  
**

**I sank into my seat. "You don't really mean - "  
**

**The taunting smile dried up. "I mean exactly what I say, Hathaway. Go to the front of the class."  
**

**A thick silence enveloped the room. Stan was a scary instructor, and most of the class was too awed to laugh at my disgrace quite yet. Refusing to crack, I strode up to the front of the room and turned to face the class. I gave them a bold look and tossed my hair over my shoulders, earning a few sympathetic smiles from my friends. I then noticed I had a larger audience than expected. A few guardians - including Dimitri –"**

"Of course, how could she_ not_ notice our favorite Russian?" Christian says, smirking.

I just glare at him, having the satisfaction of seeing him pale slightly.

**"Lingered in the back of the room. Outside the Academy, guardians focused on one-on-one protection. Here, guardians had a lot more people to protect and they had to train the novices. So rather than follow any one person around, they worked shifts guarding the school as a whole and monitoring classes.**

**"So, Hathaway," said Stan cheerfully, strolling back up to the front with me. "Enlighten us about your protective techniques."**

**"My…techniques?"**

"Of course. Because presumably you must have had some sort of plan the rest of us couldn't understand when you took an underage Moroi royal out of the Academy and exposed her to constant Strigoi threats."

It was the Kirova lecture all over again, except with more witnesses.

"We never ran into any Strigoi," I replied stiffly.

"Obviously," he said with a snicker. "I already figured that out, seeing as how you're still alive."

I wanted to shout that maybe I could have defeated a Strigoi, but after getting beat up in the last class, I now suspected I couldn't have survived an attack by Mason, let alone an actual Strigoi."

"At least you know when to keep quiet." Mom mutters.

**"When I didn't say anything, Stan started pacing in front of the class.**

"So what'd you do? How'd you make sure she stayed safe? Did you avoid going out at night?"

"Sometimes." That was true - especially when we'd first run away. We'd relaxed a little after months went by with no attacks."

The elder guardians _tsk_ed.

**" "Sometimes," he repeated in a high-pitched voice, making my answer sound incredibly stupid. "Well then, I suppose you slept during the day and stayed on guard at night."**

"Er…no."

"No? But that's one of the first things mentioned in the chapter on solo guarding. Oh wait, you wouldn't know that because you weren't here."

I swallowed back more swear words. "I watched the area whenever we went out," I said, needing to defend myself.

"Oh? Well that's something. Did you use Carnegie's Quadrant Surveillance Method or the Rotational Survey?"

I didn't say anything.

"Ah. I'm guessing you used the Hathaway Glance-Around-When-You-Remember-To Method." "

"Oh, you are dead, Alto." Mom growls.

Abe chuckles, "That's the spirit, Janie. Would you prefer a quick death or slow agonizing torture? I am not going to let that bastard live with humiliating my daughter like that."

"Oh no…She had to be reprimanded for her acts – with more civility, perhaps – but this isn't about Rose. This is personal."

Everyone seems confused, but then I get it.

"Because you're a Hathaway too." I say, grinning.

Mom nods, still scowling.

**" "No!" I exclaimed angrily. "That's not true. I watched her. She's still alive, isn't she?"**

**He walked back up to me and leaned toward my face. "Because you got lucky."**

"Strigoi aren't lurking around every corner out there," I shot back. "It's not like what we've been taught. It's safer than you guys make it sound."

"Safer? Safer? We are at war with the Strigoi!" he yelled. I could smell coffee on his breath, he was so close."

"Ugh, eeewww…" All the girls chorus, in sync.

**" "One of them could walk right up to you and snap your pretty little neck-"**

"At least he admits you've a pretty neck." Adrian smirks.

All of us ignore him, per usual.

**"Before you even noticed him - and he'd barely break a sweat doing it. You might have more speed and strength than a Moroi or a human, but you are nothing, nothing, compared to a Strigoi. They are deadly, and they are powerful. And do you know what makes them more powerful?"**

**No way was I going to let this jerk make me cry."**

Dimitri growls, looking as murderous as Abe.

**"Looking away from him, I tried to focus on something else. My eyes rested on Dimitri and the other guardians. They were watching my humiliation, stone-faced.**

**"Moroi blood," I whispered.**

"What was that?" asked Stan loudly. "I didn't catch it."

I spun back around to face him. "Moroi blood! Moroi blood makes them stronger."

He nodded in satisfaction and took a few steps back. "Yes. It does. It makes them stronger and harder to destroy. They'll kill and drink from a human or dhampir, but they want Moroi blood more than anything else. They seek it. They've turned to the dark side to gain immortality, and they want to do whatever they can to keep that immortality. Desperate Strigoi have attacked Moroi in public. Groups of Strigoi have raided academies exactly like this one. There are Strigoi who have lived for thousands of years and fed off generations of Moroi. They're almost impossible to kill. And that is why Moroi numbers are dropping. They aren't strong enough - even with guardians - to protect themselves. Some Moroi don't even see the point of running anymore and are simply turning Strigoi by choice. And as the Moroi disappear…"

"…so do the dhampirs," I finished.

"Well," he said, licking sprayed spit off his lips."

The chorus of _eeewww_s emerges once more.

**" "It looks like you learned something after all. Now we'll have to see if you can learn enough to pass this class and qualify for your field experience next semester."**

**Ouch. I spent the rest of that horrible class - in my seat, thankfully - replaying those last words in my mind. The senior-year field experience was the best part of a novice's education. We'd have no classes for half a semester."**

"Obviously that's the first thing that peaks your interest." Liss says, grinning.

I return her grin with one of own, accompanied by a shrug.

**"Instead, we'd each be assigned a Moroi student to guard and follow around. The adult guardians would monitor us and test us with staged attacks and other threats. How a novice passed that field experience was almost as important as all the rest of her grades combined."**

"Or _his_ – Really Rose, never would have pegged you as a sexist." Mia says, smirking.

I narrow my eyes at her, affectively faltering her smug look.

**"It could influence which Moroi she got assigned to after graduation.**

**And me? There was only one Moroi I wanted."**

"Well, Of course. Who wouldn't want me?" Adrian says, grinning.

"Anyone with half a brain." I reply.

"Hey!" Sydney exclaims.

"You don't count." I correct myself hastily.

Sydney frowns at me but says no more.

**"Two classes later, I finally earned my lunch escape. As I stumbled across campus toward the commons, Dimitri fell into step beside me, not looking particularly godlike - unless you counted his godly good looks."**

I groan as everyone laughs.

**" "I suppose you saw what happened in Stan's class?" I asked, not bothering with titles."**

"When do you ever?" Christian asks.

"When she's mad." Dimitri says matter-of-factly.

**" "Yes." "**

"Hallelujah! She said yes! Bring out the liquor – Let's celebrate people!" Adrian yells, grinning – mockingly – at Dimitri and Pyro.

The two just glare at him. Okay…

After a few more moments of confusion, we continue on with the book.

**" "And you don't think that was unfair?"**

"Was he right? Do you think you were fully prepared to protect Vasilisa?"

I looked down at the ground. "I kept her alive," I mumbled.

"How did you do fighting against your classmates today?"

The question was mean. I didn't answer and knew I didn't need to. I'd had another training class after Stan's, and no doubt Dimitri had watched me get beat up there too."

"I was in almost all of your classes, Roza." Dimitri says.

"What, you began stalking her right after you guys met?" Adrian begins but never got the chance to finish as I shoot him my best glare.

**" "If you can't fight them - " "**

"Join them!" Zoya exclaims, raising both her arms over her head.

All of us laugh at her adorable antics.

**" "Yeah, yeah, I know," I snapped.**

**He slowed his long stride to match my pain-filled one. "You're strong and fast by nature. You just need to keep yourself trained. Didn't you play any sports while you were gone?"**

"Sure," I shrugged. "Now and then."

"Only when Will begged you to." Liss says, winking.

Will – I had almost forgotten about him. He was one of our human friends and he had a huge crush on me. He was really cute so I messed around with him – but nothing serious.

"Who's Will?" Dimitri asks, frowning.

"Just a friend." I say hastily.

"Yeah, a friend whose throat you used to stick your tongue down." Liss says, referring to something I had said about her and Aaron.

Dimitri's scowl deepens.

I touch his arm gently, "Comrade, it was nothing. Just some harmless flirting and a few kisses."

Dimitri just sighs and turns away from me with a thoughtful expression.

**" "You didn't join any teams?"**

"Too much work. If I'd wanted to practice that much, I'd have stayed here."

**He gave me an exasperated look. "You'll never be able to really protect the princess if you don't hone your skills. You'll always be lacking."**

"I'll be able to protect her," I said fiercely.

"You have no guarantees of being assigned to her, you know - for your field experience or after you graduate." Dimitri's voice was low and unapologetic. They hadn't given me a warm and fuzzy mentor."

"Still you two managed to fall in love." Sonya B says, shaking her head in an odd mixture of amazement and exasperation.

**" "No one wants to waste the bond - but no one's going to give her an inadequate guardian either. If you want to be with her, then you need to work for it. You have your lessons. You have me."**

"Don't we know it." Adrian says, winking.

**"Use us-"**

"Innuendos so soon, Belikov?" Adrian – of course – says.

"Adrian…" I begin in a warning tone, "Shut up!"

He instantly complies. Probably in the fear of setting off my mood-swings, seeing as they believed I was pregnant.

**"Or don't. You're an ideal choice to guard Vasilisa when you both graduate - if you can prove you're worthy. I hope you will."**

**"Lissa, call her Lissa," I corrected. She hated her full name, much preferring the Americanized nickname."**

"Did you even-" Sydney begins, incredulous.

"Yes, I paid attention to what he said. I just didn't want to dwell on it." I say, irritated.

**"He walked away, and suddenly, I didn't feel like such a badass anymore.**

By now, I'd burned up a lot of time leaving class. Most everyone else had long since sprinted inside the commons for lunch, eager to maximize their social time. I'd almost made it back there myself when a voice under the door's overhang called to me.

"Rose?" "

"Who- oh, Nevermind. Just read on." Vika says.

**"Peering in the voice's direction, I caught sight of Victor Dashkov, his kind face smiling at me as he leaned on a cane near the building's wall. His two guardians stood nearby at a polite distance.**

"Mr. Dash-er, Your Highness. Hi."

I caught myself just in time, having nearly forgotten Moroi royal terms. I hadn't used them while living among humans. The Moroi chose their rulers from among twelve royal families. The eldest in the family got the title of "prince" or "princess." Lissa had gotten hers because she was the only one left in her line."

"Not anymore." Liss says, grinning at Jill. I was, once again, really happy that those two were getting along.

**" "How was your first day?" he asked.**

**"Not over yet." I tried to think of something conversational. "Are you visiting here for a while?"**

"I'll be leaving this afternoon after I say hello to Natalie. When I heard Vasilisa - and you - had returned, I simply had to come see you."

I nodded, not sure what else to say. He was more Lissa's friend than mine."

_Yet, here I am – helping _you. His Highness - (former) royal pain-in-the-ass says.

Damned ghosts! I _really_ need to learn to control them.

But for now, I take out my spirit ring and put it on, affectively shutting out the ghosts; I noticed all the spirit users and Mark eyeing my actions.

**" "I wanted to tell you…" He spoke hesitantly. "I understand the gravity of what you did, but I think Headmistress Kirova failed to acknowledge something. You did keep Vasilisa safe all this time. That is impressive."**

"Well, it's not like I faced down Strigoi or anything," I said.

"But you faced down some things?" "

"How did he even know you faced_ anything_?" Sydney asks, frowning.

"Ugh, I really could've used you back then, Syd. That was an obvious clue!" I mutter, annoyed at my crappy tactical skills.

**" "Sure. The school sent psi-hounds once."**

**"Remarkable."**

"Not really. Avoiding them was pretty easy." "

"_How? _Those things are sneaky bastards – I would know, I've an entire pack under my command." Abe says.

"Yeah, well. You Moroi might be able to control them but no mutant hound-wolf breed takes me down." I say, cockily.

**"He laughed. "I've hunted with them before."**

"_Another_ hint! Man, how could I have been so oblivious?" I exclaim.

"You were always oblivious,_ Roses_." Eddie says with a sad smile. He was probably referring to me being oblivious to Mase's feelings for me since he had used the nickname Mason used for me when we were kids.

**"They aren't that easy to evade, not with their powers and intelligence." "**

"Leave it to Rosemarie to figure out loopholes in things." Sonya K says, grinning at me – with pride?

**"It was true. Psi-hounds were one of many types of magical creatures that wandered the world, creatures that humans never knew about or else didn't believe they'd really seen. The hounds traveled in packs and shared a sort of psychic communication that made them particularly deadly to their prey - as did the fact that they resembled mutant wolves. "Did you face anything else?"**

**I shrugged. "Little things here and there."**

"Remarkable," he repeated.

"Lucky, I think. It turns out I'm really behind in all this guardian stuff." I sounded just like Stan now."

"_Oh, the horror!_" I yell dramatically, instigating laughter among the group.

**" "You're a smart girl."**

"I know." I say, flipping my hair in a narcissistic manner.

**"You'll catch up. And you also have your bond."**

**I looked away. My ability to "feel" Lissa had been such a secret for so long, it felt weird to have others know about it.**

"The histories are full of stories of guardians who could feel when their charges were in danger," Victor continued.

"I've made a hobby of studying up on it and some of the ancient ways. I've heard it's a tremendous asset." "

"And again – I swear, Victor was the perfect cliché for the villains that babble out their whole maniacal plot." I groan.

"Yeah, you were just too stupid to see it." Fire-cracker grins.

"Hey, watch it! Liss didn't see it either." I say glaring.

"Yeah, but she wasn't the one this was being revealed to -"

"_Still_; Rose told me everything." Liss comes to my defense.

I grin but my victory is short-lived as Liss continues, "Everything, of course, except anything that had to do with Dimitri." She finishes with a smirk.

I just scowl as Firefly grins.

**" "I guess." I shrugged. What a boring hobby, I thought, imagining him poring over prehistoric histories in some dank library covered in spiderwebs."**

"Only you would picture libraries like that." Sydney says exasperated.

"Oh no…I do too." Vika pipes in.

"I always thought libraries like that were cool. They have an odd sense of mystery about them." Jill says, "But, I could do without the spiders – the webs, I'm good with anything but the insects…" She shudders dramatically.

"Actually, no – Now every time I think of a library, my mind drifts off to places like or the Corn Palace."

Dimitri grins and kisses my neck.

**"Victor tilted his head, curiosity all over his face. Kirova and the others had had the same look when we'd mentioned our connection, like we were lab rats. "What is it like - if you don't mind me asking?"**

**"It's…I don't know. I just sort of always have this hum of how she feels. Usually it's just emotions. We can't send messages or anything." "**

"But you told me you could." Dimitri frowns.

"Yeah, but we didn't know about that until later." I clarify.

**"I didn't tell him about slipping into her head. That part of it was hard even for me to understand.**

**"But it doesn't work the other way? She doesn't sense you?"**

I shook my head.

His face shone with wonder."

I groan and refrain from banging my head against the wall – how could I have _not_ seen all the signs?

**" "How did it happen?"**

**"I don't know," I said, still glancing away. "Just started two years ago."**

**He frowned. "Near the time of the accident?"**

Hesitantly, I nodded. The accident was not something I wanted to talk about, that was for sure. Lissa's memories were bad enough without my own mixing into them. Twisted metal. A sensation of hot, then cold, then hot again."

"How do you feel if you're dead?" Karolina asks with a frown.

"If I had to guess – I'd say that was the healing process." Sydney says, matter-of-factly.

"And of course Sydney's right." Liss says grinning at Syd. Those two had bonded over the past period of months – over their mutual intelligence and of course, me.

**"Lissa screaming over me, screaming for me to wake up, screaming for her parents and her brother to wake up. None of them had, only me.**

**And the doctors said that was a miracle in itself. They said I shouldn't have survived."**

I begin twirling the spirit ring – _I shouldn't have survived._

Dimitri, no doubt sensing my thoughts, begins murmuring soothing Russian nonsense to me.

**"Apparently sensing my discomfort, Victor let the moment go and returned to his earlier excitement.**

**"I can still barely believe this. It's been so long since this has happened. If it did happen more often…just think what it could do for the safety of all Moroi. If only others could experience this too. I'll have to do more research and see if we can replicate it with others."**

**"Yeah." I was getting impatient, despite how much I liked him. Natalie rambled a lot and it was pretty clear which parent she'd inherited that quality from."**

"Oh no – If I recall correctly, Chelsea Dashkov rambles a lot too." Abe says.

I stare at him confused and then I get it – Chelsea Dashkov was Natalie's mom.

Huh, rambling from both parents – no wonder it was her predominant trademark.

**"Lunch was ticking down, and although Moroi and novices shared afternoon classes, Lissa and I wouldn't have much time to talk."**

"Really? But Uncle Dimka said you were a troublemaker." Paul says, frowning.

I glare at Dimitri and turn to Paul, "Well, that _is_ true but you see Aunt Lissa here is a nerd and mostly has to pay attention in class."

"Yes, but I make an exception when your Aunt Rose passes me notes." She retorts.

"Not always!" I protest.

"Yes – Only when she pokes me with a pencil." Liss says, grinning.

Everyone laughs at this.

**" "Perhaps we could - " He started coughing, a great, seizing fit that made his whole body shake. His disease, Sandovsky's Syndrome, took the lungs down with it while dragging the body toward death. I cast an anxious look at his guardians, and one of them stepped forward. "Your Highness," he said politely, "you need to go inside. It's too cold out here."**

Victor nodded. "Yes, yes. And I'm sure Rose here wants to eat." He turned to me. "Thank you for speaking to me. I can't emphasize how much it means to me that Vasilisa is safe - and that you helped with that. I'd promised her father I'd look after her if anything happened to him, and I felt like quite the failure when you left."

A sinking sensation filled my stomach as I imagined him wracked with guilt and worry over our disappearance. Until now, I hadn't really thought about how others might have felt about us leaving."

"_Thanks. We're oh so touched_." Eddie says with dripping sarcasm, glaring at me playfully.

I just stick my tongue out at him.

**"We made our goodbyes, and I finally arrived inside the school. As I did, I felt Lissa's anxiety spike. Ignoring the pain in my legs, I picked up my pace into the commons.**

**And nearly ran right into her.**

She didn't see me, though. Neither did the people standing with her: Aaron and that little doll girl."

Mia groans, covering her face with her hands.

**"I stopped and listened, just catching the end of the conversation. The girl leaned toward Lissa, who seemed more stunned than anything else.**

**"It looks to me like it came from a garage sale. I thought a precious Dragomir would have standards." Scorn dripped off the word Dragomir."**

Mia moans – head sunk in shame.

**"Grabbing Doll Girl by the shoulder, I jerked her away. She was so light; she stumbled three feet and nearly fell.**

"Well, it's hard _not_ to fall when you're wearing heels and someone flings you away." Mia grumbles.**  
**

"Oh, you were wearing heels? Huh; sorry, I didn't notice – My bad, _Doll Girl_." I smirk, not acknowledging the rest of her sentence.

Mia just glares at me.

**" "She does have standards," I said, "which is why you're done talking to her."**

Well, that's it."

"Okay, no more chapters before I've had some sleep. This was supposed to be my day off." I grumble.

Everyone obliges and heads to their respected rooms.

I take some time to examine the mystery package I got – It was a pregnancy test.

The Hell?!

* * *

**Ooohhhh...So, what'd you think? Do you think the pregnancy explanation was justified? What about the powers Rose was talking about? And the Guardians; what's going on there? Also, who do you guys reckon is RM? My twist on that is going to blow your minds. :') But, you're gonna have to wait till the SB or LS. :3**

**Tell me what you think! :)**

**Review, Loves! ^^**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'd like to dedicate this chapter to all those people who reviewed - you guys make me smile. :) **

**Also, I got a PM asking if I could use Dimka as Rose's way to address Dimitri...I'm Sorry, but I can't. I just don't see her using it. I figured I'd clarify here if anyone of you wanted the same thing. I think Comrade suits better, it's her term of endearment for it, and I'm sticking to it. I hope that's okay? **

**And, guys...Seriously, I need a Beta Reader. 0o0**

**Disclaimer: I don't own VA. I'm just frolicking about in it's makeshift world. :3 **

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Why would RM send me a pregnancy test? Like it wasn't enough that whoever-the-hell he or she was knew my previous thoughts but seemed to be tuned in to my current life.

What did this mean? Could I really -?

"Roza..?" Dimitri's voice interrupts my monologue.

"Yeah, hold on Comrade, I've to use the washroom real quick." With that, I move towards said destination and throw over my shoulder a quick,

"Could you send Liss here too? I've to talk to her. Thanks Dimitri."

As the door shut behind me, I turn the test over in my hand and with a resigned sigh, put my fate to the test – which in this case, ought to be sealed by my urine - Yeah, not exactly a preferable medium.

After I was done, I set the timer and lean against the door, waiting.

**DPOV**

I make my way to Lissa and Christian's room after Rose kicked me out of ours. Why was she acting so weird? What was wrong with her? I stop short – my hand poised to knock.

_What if she'd figured out Adrian's stupid comment? Oh, I will_kill_him if that's the case. I've to talk to Christian._

Drawing a deep breath, I knock on the door. It opens to reveal Lissa,

"Oh, Dimitri!" She smiles at me but that smile drops as she frowns at my expression – a mixture of worry and anxiety;

"Is Rose okay?"

"Yes. She's fine. She's actually asking for you."

No sooner had the words left my lips that the Queen of the Moroi world was rushing towards mine and Rose's room like a kid on a sugar-rush, chasing candy. I enter the room and am met with a questioning look from my charge,

"Dude, what's wrong?" He asks. Realizing my emotions are out in the open, I veil them as I had so expertly done in the time following Ivan's death – before I met Rose.

"Dimitri, you're scaring me. Don't do the guardian mask thing, man. I'm not a spirit-user or Rose – I can't decipher -" He gestures in the general direction of my face, "_That_."

I sigh, "Rose has been acting weird -" He cuts me off,

"I know. Something's up with Lissa too. But you wouldn't tell me this unless you had your suspicions. What do you think is wrong?"

"I think they know." I admit, biting my lip.

"Know wha-" He stops mid-word, his eyes widening, "No, you don't think – But how – Could it be Adrian? Oh, I will kill -"

I put my hand on his shoulder, squeezing – effectively silencing him.

"Breathe, Christian. I don't want to be executed for letting the King die on my watch due to lack of breathing." I say dryly, but it works. He takes a deep breath,

"You're right. And we're not even sure. Speaking of, where are they?" He asks, frowning. With that said, he and I set towards the room where our girlfriends are currently lodging.

**RPOV**

A knock sounds on the door, breaking me out of my internal assumptions of Dimitri's reactions if the test was positive, followed by Liss' voice,

"Rose? Open up, It's me."

I get up to let her in all the while saying, "I know it's you, Liss – I can sense you, remember? You may be the Queen but that doesn't mean your presence has to be announced like archaic times."

With that, we both burst out laughing; there was a time when we had taken pleasure in bashing the Royals – regardless of the Dragomirs – for their ancient gestures. It seems absurdly ironic that we turned out to be the centre of that archaic-adoring society. After our laughter dies down, I explain the whole RM package situation to Liss – the timer sounds as soon as I'm done rehashing the whole thing, as if on cue.

The test is – well, I'm not sure if I should be happy, worried or relieved. But before either of us can form a verbal reaction, the door vibrates with a knock, followed by a deep voice,

"Roza? Are you okay?"

I curse and look at Liss, but she is already in action, taking the test from my fingers and placing it back in the package sealing, throwing it into a random cabinet. With that done, we walk out. Only to be greeted with what could only be described as the cautious faces of our boyfriends. Like always, it's up to me to break the tension in the room,

"Okay, Get out, Sparky. I need some alone time with Dimitri. Mind you, it is still is my day off. So, shoo." I finish with an exaggerated shooing gesture, causing everyone to laugh and said people to leave.

_You're going to tell him?_ Lissa asks through the bond, shooting me a wide-eyed look over her shoulder. I shake my head ever so slightly and then they're gone. But, naturally, not even the slightest movement escapes Dimitri's notice,

"What was that about?"

"Oh, nothing you have to worry about."

"Roza, if it concerns you, it is second nature for me to worry."

I sigh and turn to face him, "I know. But really, Comrade, It's nothing. Trust me."

Dimitri moves to cup my face and just before kissing me, his lips hovering just above mine, he whispers, "Always."

Things begin escalating quickly from there and we end up on the bed but I just can't. I need some time to think, so I pull away, much to Dimitri's confusion.

"What's wrong, Roza?" He asks; hurt lacing his voice and clouding his eyes. I kiss him once for reassurance and then reply,

"Nothing. I'm just really tired."

He doesn't look like he believes me but lets it go when I snuggle closer to him. I wasn't lying when I told him I was tired because not a minute later, I was out like a light.

**DPOV**

I barely got a wink of sleep last night – and how could I? I had been too busy in trying to figure out what was up with Rose. She and Lissa had been acting strange for quite a while now but I didn't put much thought into it, but now…now, I feel as if that behavior's intensified.

It hurt me to consider that Roza might be hiding something from me; the last time she hid something from me, it was life-altering and it pains me to even consider what she might be going through – something that she refuses to share with me, no less.

_Does she believe she can't trust me anymore?_

Just that mere thought is like a thousand infinitesimal daggers piercing my heart – _No_, it has to be something else; it _has_ to be, Rose_knows_ she can trust me with anything. She_does_ trust me.

But even as I try to reassure myself, the seed of doubt is already planted. It's funny, ironically, me doubting Roza's trust in me when she had been unhesitant in confirming that she trusted me. It's also odd that I am lying awake at night, trying to decipher her thoughts when she has always been like an open book to me – though, technically, I believe she still is; I have always been able to read her but there have been times when I know that she's lying to me but I wasn't sure what about. Like now, I know she isn't being completely honest with me, but what's eating me inside is the question of what – _what is she not telling me?_

Not surprisingly, I had come up with no substantial explanation all through the night. I sigh and pull Rose closer to me, inhaling her scent and pressing a soft kiss to her neck.

Not a moment later, the door soundlessly opens to reveal my mother peeking inside, only to smile at the sight of Rose cuddled up in my arms. She turns her attention towards me, and whispers ever so quietly,

"Good Morning, Dimka. I just wanted to tell you that everyone's awake; Christian and I are going to make breakfast. Be sure to wake her up before then."

I nod and she leaves, closing the door softly. Deciding that I need a distraction from my overwhelming thoughts of Rose, I get up and after dressing, walk out of our room to assist Mama and Christian. Hopefully, cooking will give me something to focus on other than Roza.

On my way to the kitchen, I am greeted by several people in the living room. I enter the kitchen, much to Christian's amusement, in my disheveled state – even though, I had tried to appear presentable, I can't hide the bags under my eyes or my ruffled hair, with how many times I had run my hands through it. He smirks upon seeing me and remarks,

"Damn, Belikov. You look like crap!"

"You don't look too good yourself, _Lord Ozera._" I mock – knowing that he hated his formal title as much as his girlfriend – taking in his own state.

He merely shrugs, "Yeah, I didn't get much sleep last night. I was too worried about Lissa. And I'm figuring you went through the same thing with Rose."

Even though, he phrased it like a statement, I still nod in response. In an attempt to change the subject, I ask,

"So, what are we making for breakfast, Mama?"

Apparently, Mama had decided to make pancakes and donuts for breakfast. Donuts – Roza would be thrilled. She just loved those and I quote, "Wonders of deep-fried dough", especially the chocolate glazed ones. I groan internally at my thoughts – this was so not working. Cooking was supposed to take my mind _off of_ Rose, not _remind_ me of her.

Regardless, I take it upon myself to pre-make the glaze for Roza's donuts the way she likes it and then get started on the rest. I'm so engrossed in my work that I don't hear Rose entering the kitchen – or greeting my mom and Christian – until I feel a pair of_very_ familiar arms wrap themselves around my torso, followed by a slight pressure on my back, where I assume she rested her head, and a more familiar yet voice,

"Good Morning, Comrade."

Upon hearing her voice, I feel some of the tension leave my body and a smile make its way onto my face, as I turn my head to reply,

"Good Morning, _Milaya_. Did you sleep well?"

Rose maneuvers herself so that she was now standing next to me, but with her arms still wrapped around me,

"Yeah, I did. _You_ didn't, though." I feel myself tense at her statement, "What were you thinking about, Comrade?"

"Nothing of import, Roza, Don't worry. I was just….wondering how far along into your life these books go. I am not looking forward to re-living all the heartache and pain I've caused you in the past." This _was_ true; though not the answer to her question, not really.

Rose lets go of me and hops up onto the counter, titling her head to get a better look at me,

"Dimitri…that's in the past – we've moved on, remember?"

I lean my forehead against hers, "I know, Roza. And I'm not just talking about the…Strigoi part, I mean all of it." I lean back again to look into her eyes, "All of it, Rose – the Academy, Russia, the church."

"Well, it doesn't matter. It's not like we have the easiest or most ideal relationship." She grins in an effort to lighten the moment.

I chuckle and lean forward, molding our lips together in a slow, yet passionate kiss. A kiss which is rudely interrupted by Christian,

"Hey Rose, you might not want to keep Belikov occupied if you want those donuts for breakfast."

"Donuts?!" Rose exclaims happily as we pull apart. I smile at her adoringly as I confirm it,

"Yes, _Milaya_…Donuts. And as much as I will regret this later – Christian's right. I need to finish these."

Rose gives me a peck before exiting the kitchen and I get back to work, thankfully without any teasing from Christian about the 'him being right' comment.

After breakfast was done and served, everyone sat in their desired positions in the living room; me sitting next to my Roza on the couch. After everyone is fed, Roza begins scanning the room, seeking the next person to read.

"So, Liss…wanna give it a go? You always wanted to be able to read my thoughts." She says with a smirk.

Lissa grins and takes the book. Settling herself in her previous position, she ruffles through the pages before finally clearing her throat to read,

"**CHAPTER FOUR**

**We didn't have the entire commons' attention this time, thank God, but a few passing people had stopped to stare."**

"You really shouldn't be surprised, Little Dhampir. You _always_ attract stares." Adrian interrupts Lissa, after the very first sentence. Don't get me wrong, I like Adrian, but he can get just a _little bit_annoying sometimes.

"Well, can you blame them?" Roza asks with a grin, flipping her hair.

She was right, of course. She was beautiful and attracted male attention – though, it angered me easily…_how dare they look at my Roza with lust?_

My train of thought was interrupted my Christian's smug voice, "Yeah, I mean, look at her…She's an anomaly."

I frowned at his words – I knew he didn't actually mean them, he truly cared for Rose, but his words still bothered me – My Roza was beautiful, and no man in his right mind could deny that. Not even Christian Ozera. I was about to voice my opinions but Roza beat me to it.

"Careful, Ozera. The man in love with me is responsible for your life. He might take offence – I mean, after all…who do you think Dimitri will side with?" She says with a smirk, eliciting a chuckle from me.

It _was_ true, and then again,_which one of Roza's assessments about me weren't true?_ Though, I would support Rose, I would keep Christian alive, no matter what – I owed it to Lissa…and to Rose. She would _never_let it go if I let her 'partner in crime' die, she would, of course, also be pissed because then Lissa would be sad and Roza can't bear the unhappiness of her best friend, or _anyone_ for that matter; It was one of the reasons that I fell in love with her.

Christian was quick to come up with a snarky comeback, I swear those two could go on forever; I observed everyone watching them with interest as I exchanged a smile with Lissa – _some things would never change_; Right now, however, it was best to interrupt their bickering and get done with the books, so I asked Lissa to continue reading, cutting Christian off in the middle of a sentence, which made Rose grin triumphantly.

**" "What the hell do you think you're doing?" asked Doll Girl, blue eyes wide and sparkling with fury."**

Roza's description of her made Mia groan; It was comical yet interesting to get to read Roza's thoughts. I had always been able to guess them but there was something….calming, reading about _everything_ that went on with her and how she thought of it. She might not let anyone – except me, and some others occasionally – see her weak, but this way, at least she won't be able to conceal it with a façade.

**"Up close now, I was able to get a better look at her. She had the same slim build as most Moroi but not the usual height,"**

**"You're one to say, you're not that tall either." Mia mutters, pouting in Roza's direction.**

Roza smiles; One of those beautiful wide grins that light up her face in a way that tugs at my heart more so than usual – It was one of those smiles that I lived to be the cause of, they eased a sort of darkness off of her. A darkness, I remembered was a recent development, _Dammit…I really need to find out what's going on with Roza._

I noticed while I was internally cursing myself, Rose and Mia were done talking and Rose motioned for Lissa to read and Mia sat with what seemed to be a perpetual pout on her petit features.

**"Which was partly what made her look so young. The tiny purple dress she wore was gorgeous - reminding me that I was indeed dressed in thrift-shop wear - but closer inspection led me to think it was a designer knockoff."**

Mia's pout evolved into a grin at the compliment of her dress, only to fall as Lissa read the 'designer knockoff' comment; Rose and Mia engage once again in a verbal battle, with Chris, Eddie or Adrian interjecting once in a while. It was all slightly amusing.

I scan the room quickly – Paul seemed depressingly bored as he tried to elicit a reaction from Zoya by making funny faces at her, but Zoya like the rest of the women in my family seemed to take an eerie interest in what was being said; Mama, Karolina and Sonya seemed very engaged and Vika – well Vika appeared to be hanging on every word. Yeva was scrutinizing everyone with a level gaze but I saw her gaze narrowed ever so slightly in Roza's direction, which confused me.

Frowning, I turn to look at Abe and Janine – they seem mesmerized by the life of their daughter, then again, they hadn't been there for her most of her life, so I guess it _had_to seem interesting to them. Next, my gazed drifts towards Alberta, Sonya and Mikhail; they seemed to be listening to the story with a sort of amused exasperation, which I assumed was justified – they had all witnessed her life at the academy, after all.

Next, my gaze falls upon Roza's group of friends, all of them seemed to be very keenly listening – if I didn't know any better, I'd say they were hoping for something that could be used as blackmail material, if the mischievous glint in Adrian, Eddie and Christian's eyes was any indication; Mia just looked uncomfortable – I know how she feels, after all, there are going to moments when everyone who cares about Roza (including me) would want to kill me. Jill and Sydney listened on with alert curiosity, whereas Lissa appeared to be engaged in an internal battle on whether to burst out laughing or groan.

Finally, my gaze came to rest on Roza, who was already looking at me with a quizzical look in her eye, I bend down to kiss her and smile after I pulled away. Lissa clearing her throat, brought us back to reality,

"I'm going to continue now, Mia – don't worry, no one's going to judge you; and Rose…" Lissa just sighs and continues.

**"I crossed my arms across my chest, "Are you lost, little girl? The elementary school's over on west campus."**

A pink flush spread over her cheeks. "Don't you ever touch me again. You screw with me, and I'll screw you right back." "

"Oh, man – What an offer." Adrian grins, but is promptly ignored.

**"Oh man, what an opening that was."**

"See? Even Rose agrees with me." He tries again, only to have the reaction, excluding Mia's slight blush and Rose's triumphant smirk and wink in Adrian's direction.

**"Only a head shake from Lissa stopped me from unleashing any number of hilarious comebacks. Instead, I opted for simple brute force, so to speak.**

**"And if you mess with either of us again, I'll break you in half."**

"Kinky; Little Dhampir, we understand that -" Adrian began, only to be smacked on the back of his head by Sydney, which shut him up.

**"If you don't believe me, go ask Dawn Yarrow about what I did to her arm in ninth grade."**

Alberta groans, "_Rose_; that was no bragging matter."

Roza merely grins angelically, which makes me chuckle lightly.

"**You were probably at nap time when it happened."**

**The incident with Dawn hadn't been one of my finer moments. I honestly hadn't expected to break any bones when I shoved her into a tree. Still, the incident had given me a dangerous reputation, in addition to my smartass one. The story had gained legendary status, and I liked to imagine that it was still being told around campfires late at night."**

Jill nods to confirm this, "Yeah, stories of you circulated all around the junior campuses – everyone tried to find new stories to tell about you, to see who knew more about you, it was all like _a ridiculous competition_; I frankly found it annoying. _Oh_, um, I mean, not the part about _you_ -"

Roza cuts her off with a reassuring smile, "Relax, Jill. I know what you meant, and hey, even if you _do_find me annoying – it's okay, I mean, it's expected, isn't it? I always considered you as a little sister; and if Vika's right, we're _supposed_ to be annoying."

This made everyone erupt into laughter and Vika to pout, but the laughter was interrupted by Lissa's voice,

"Yeah, Jill; I mean, Rose was always like the sister I never had and _she_ annoys_me_ a lot – the fact that you're my actual sister just means, you have to put up with not _one_ but two elder sisters." She says, with a smile.

"Hey! I am _not_ that annoying." Roza protests, but Jill doesn't listen, she's too emotionally occupied; she had tears in her eyes, which fell as Lissa got up to hug her, followed closely by Rose.

"Two elder sisters, guess you really _are_like me, though without an annoying elder brother." Vika grins, in an effort to lighten the mood.

"Hey, Dimitri is not annoying, and as for the elder brother thing – Jill has two; isn't that right?" Roza says, grinning at Adrian and Christian.

"So, wait – shouldn't Uncle Dimka be counted as a brother too?" Paul asks, raising an eyebrow at Rose. There was a sudden flash of annoyance in her eyes, not at Paul but at his eyebrow, which made me chuckle soundlessly – Roza always thought that was cool but was very frustrated that she couldn't do it.

"Well, _of course_ he'll be considered a brother, but more of a brother-_in-law_." She says, grinning at me in a way that made it impossible for me not to smile back.

"But wait; shouldn't Christian be considered a brother-in-law, too? And, um, Rose, aren't you to be considered her sister-in-law, because you're like Eddie's little sister? And where -" Sydney begins, only to be waved off by Lissa,

"Okay, enough with this – we know we have a messed up, entangled family but that can be discussed _after_ we've finished these books." With that said, she continued reading.

**Judging from the look on this girl's face, it was.**

**One of the patrolling staff members strolled by right then, casting suspicious eyes at our little meeting. Doll Girl backed off, taking Aaron's arm. "Come on," she said.**

"Hey, Aaron," I said cheerfully, remembering he was there. "Nice to see you again."

He gave me a quick nod and an uneasy smile, just as the girl dragged him off. Same old Aaron. He might be nice and cute, but aggressive he was not.

I turned to Lissa. "You okay?" She nodded. "Any idea who I just threatened to beat up?" "

"She didn't even know who she threatened to beat up – _definitely_ your daughter, Janie." Mama says, smiling at Rose's mom.

"Yeah, and let's not forget Abe here – he was_particularly_ fond of that, wasn't he, _Lena_?" Guardian Hathaway returns, which causes Mama to laugh,

"Oh, yes – Ibrahim had quite a habit of that, especially with the dhampirs." This caused both the women to laugh, and Abe to grumble.

"Um, am I missing something here?" Roza asks, confused; she wasn't the only one.

"Oh no, we're just reminiscing about our times at the Academy." Janine tells her daughter.

_What? My mother attended school with Rose's parents?! How do I_not _know that?!_

"Yes, your mother was quite the troublemaker, you know; Always got us into trouble." Mama says, smiling at Janine – I had never seen this side of my mom and I wasn't sure how to feel about it.

"I was, but Olena always used to get me out of trouble with her great skills and _oh so innocent_ demeanor." Janine teases Mama, who in turn blushed lightly.

"Oh, I merely just helped. It was mostly because of Rh-" she stops mid-sentence, her eyes widening.

_"Who?"_ Roza asks; for once, I'm grateful for her curious nature.

"Oh, just another friend of ours," Her mom replies, looking slightly mortified, though she tried to hide it. Even Abe looked tense.

Roza turns to me with a questioning look, "Did you know your mom was friends with my parents?"

"Not a clue, I wish I did, though; that way I could've gotten to know you earlier." I smirk at her.

"Not quite, Comrade. You forget my parents never visited me." Even though, I knew that and even though her parents were there for her now, the tiny spark of sadness in her eyes still clenched my heart.

"Yes, and that way, I wouldn't have gotten to know you the way I have," I say, lightly kissing her temple.

"Not to mention, Abe never would've let you near me if we knew each other before." She says, grinning at me.

Lissa clears her throat and continues,

**" "Not a clue." I started to lead her toward the lunch line, but she shook her head at me. "Gotta go see the feeders."**

A funny feeling settled over me. I'd gotten so used to being her primary blood source that the thought of returning to the Moroi's normal routine seemed strange. In fact, it almost bothered me."

This sentence made me tense; I had used Roza for blood – had that had a permanent impact on her? She_did_ let Adrian drink from her. _Oh, God._

Probably sensing my thoughts, Roza turns around in my arms to bury her face into my chest. She looks up and shakes her head microscopically and kisses my neck, smiling at me; and lie that, all my worries disappear and I hold her close to me, her face resting in the crook of neck.

**"It shouldn't have. Daily feedings were part of a Moroi's life, something I hadn't been able to offer her while living on our own. It had been an inconvenient situation, one that left me weak on feeding days and her weak on the days in between. I should have been happy she would get some normality.**

**I forced a smile. "Sure."**

We walked into the feeding room, which sat adjacent to the cafeteria. It was set up with small cubicles, dividing the room's space in an effort to offer privacy. A dark-haired Moroi woman greeted us at the entrance and glanced down at her clipboard, flipping through the pages. Finding what she needed, she made a few notes and then gestured for Lissa to follow. Me she gave a puzzled look, but she didn't stop me from entering.

She led us to one of the cubicles where a plump, middle-aged woman sat leafing through a magazine. She looked up at our approach and smiled. In her eyes, I could see the dreamy, glazed-over look most feeders had."

Roza shuddered slightly in my arms and I kiss her temple, burying my face in the curve of her neck, softly pressing kisses to her flesh to soothe her; judging from the tension leaving her body, it was working.

**"She'd probably neared her quota for the day, judging from how high she appeared to be.**

**Recognizing Lissa, her smile grew. "Welcome back, Princess."**

The greeter left us, and Lissa sat down in the chair beside the woman. I sensed a feeling of discomfort in her, a little different from my own. This was weird for her too; it had been a long time. The feeder, however, had no such reservations. An eager look crossed her face - the look of a junkie about to get her next fix.

Disgust poured into me. It was an old instinct, one that had been drilled in over the years. Feeders were essential to Moroi life. They were humans who willingly volunteered to be a regular blood source, humans from the fringes of society who gave their lives over to the secret world of the Moroi. They were well cared for and given all the comforts they could need. But at the heart of it, they were drug users, addicts to Moroi saliva and the rush it offered with each bite. The Moroi - and guardians - looked down on this dependency, even though the Moroi couldn't have survived otherwise unless they took victims by force; Hypocrisy at its finest."

"And _this_is why you're my royal advisor." Lissa concluded, referring to Roza's assessment of the feeders; I admit, even though I knew how smart my Roza was, even I was impressed by her judgment.

Rose just rolls her eyes at her best friend, mockingly saying "Yes, Your Majesty."

Lissa just glares back at her and continues.

**"The feeder tilted her head, giving Lissa full access to her neck. Her skin there was marked with scars from years of daily bites. The infrequent feedings Lissa and I had done had kept my neck clear; my bite marks never lasted more than a day or so.**

Lissa leaned forward, fangs biting into the feeder's yielding flesh. The woman closed her eyes, making a soft sound of pleasure. I swallowed, watching Lissa drink. I couldn't see any blood, but I could imagine it. A surge of emotion grew in my chest: longing. Jealousy. I averted my eyes, staring at the floor. Mentally, I scolded myself.

What's wrong with you? Why should you miss it? You only did it once every day. You aren't addicted, not like this. And you don't want to be."

I noticed Eddie and Jill in a somewhat similar position as Roza and I were, I'm just glad those two have each other to lean on and it kills me to think that I wasn't there for rose like that at the beginning of our relationship since I was trying to deny my feelings for her.

**"But I couldn't help myself, couldn't help the way I felt as I recalled the bliss and rush of a vampire's bite.**

Lissa finished and we returned to the commons, moving toward the lunch line. It was short, since we only had fifteen minutes left, and I strolled up and began to load my plate with French fries and some rounded, bite-size objects that looked vaguely like chicken nuggets."

This made everyone laugh and Sydney to remark, "So, you ate something you _vaguely_recognized? What happened at the Keepers, then?"

Roza groaned and Sydney and I laughed, while most of the rest (basically, everyone besides Abe and Lissa) gave us quizzical looks.

**"Lissa only grabbed a yogurt. Moroi needed food, as dhampirs and humans did, but rarely had an appetite after drinking blood.**

**"So how'd classes go?" I asked.**

She shrugged. Her face was bright with color and life now. "Okay. Lots of stares. A lot of stares."

"Isn't that the same thing?" Paul asks, frowning. So, he _was_paying attention.

"Emphasis," Karolina said shortly, before motioning for Lissa to read.

**"Lots of questions about where we were. Whispering."**

**"Same here," I said. The attendant checked us out, and we walked toward the tables. I gave Lissa a sidelong glance. "You okay with that? They aren't bothering you, are they?"**

"No - it's fine." The emotions coming through the bond contradicted her words. Knowing I could feel that, she tried to change the subject by handing me her class schedule. I looked it over.

1st Period Russian 2"

"Oh, yeah, could you teach me some of that? Because apparently, no matter how much Dimitri claims to love me, he refuses to teach me his native language." Rose says, pouting at me.

"Roza, I never refused to teach you Russian, I only reused to teach you Russian curse words. And Lissa can't help you with that either – they don't teach cursing in formal classes." I say, pecking her still pouting lips.

"I hate it when you're logical." She mutters under her breath to me; I couldn't resist, I gave her a quick kiss.

**"2nd Period American Colonial Literature**

3rd Period Basics of Elemental Control

4th Period Ancient Poetry

-Lunch -

5th Period Animal Behavior and Physiology

6th Period Advanced Calculus

7th Period Moroi Culture 4

8th Period Slavic Art

"Nerd," I said. "If you were in Stupid Math like me, we'd have the same afternoon schedule." I stopped walking. "Why are you in elemental basics? That's a sophomore class."

She eyed me. "Because seniors take specialized classes."

We fell silent at that. All Moroi wielded elemental magic. It was one of the things that differentiated living vampires from Strigoi, the dead vampires. Moroi viewed magic as a gift. It was part of their souls and connected them to the world.

A long time ago, they had used their magic openly - averting natural disasters and helping with things like food and water production. They didn't need to do that as much anymore, but the magic was still in their blood. It burned in them and made them want to reach out to the earth and wield their power. Academies like this existed to help Moroi control the magic and learn how to do increasingly complex things with it. Students also had to learn the rules that surrounded magic, rules that had been in place for centuries and were strictly enforced.

All Moroi had a small ability in each element. When they got to be around our age, students "specialized" when one element grew stronger than the others: earth, water, fire, or air. Not specializing was like not going through puberty.

And Lissa…well, Lissa hadn't specialized yet.

"Is Ms. Carmack still teaching that? What she'd say?"

"She says she's not worried. She thinks it'll come."

"Did you - did you tell her about - "

**"Lissa shook her head. "No. Of course not."**

** We let the subject drop. It was one we thought about a lot but rarely spoke of**

"About _what?_Oh, come on! This is so not fair, it's like one of those secret conversations Mama has with Uncle Dimka and Aunt Sonya. Why would you mention something if everyone wasn't going to get it!" Paul ranted, scowling.

"It will come, Paul; Just wait for it. And I'm not sure about your Mom, Sonya and Dimitri, but for Liss and I, no one was around and the two of us already knew what it meant." Roza says, laughing, "But, don't worry, I'll tell your Uncle Dimka not to do anything like that again, okay?"

This seemed to satisfy Paul and he sat back down, looking at Lissa.

**"We started moving again, scanning the tables as we decided where to sit. A few pairs of eyes looked up at us with blatant curiosity.**

"Lissa!" came a nearby voice. Glancing over, we saw Natalie waving at us."

My grip on Rose tightened at the mention of Natalie; If I had been only a few minutes late, I would've lost her. Rose moves to kiss my cheek, which calms down my racing mind.

**"Lissa and I exchanged looks. Natalie was sort of Lissa's cousin in the way Victor was sort of her uncle, but we'd never hung out with her all that much.**

**Lissa shrugged and headed in that direction. "Why not?"**

I followed reluctantly. Natalie was nice but also one of the most uninteresting people I knew. Most royals at the school enjoyed a kind of celebrity status, but Natalie had never fit in with that crowd. She was too plain, too uninterested in the politics of the Academy, and too clueless to really navigate them anyway."

"_Clueless my ass!_ That little b…bad person wasn't so naïve." Christian growled. I shared his fury but I needed to stay calm to comfort Roza, even if the roles had been reversed just a few moments ago.

**"Natalie's friends eyed us with a quiet curiosity, but she didn't hold back. She threw her arms around us. Like Lissa, she had jade-green eyes, but her hair was jet black, like Victor's had been before his disease grayed it.**

"You're back! I knew you would be! Everyone said you were gone forever, but I never believed that. I knew you couldn't stay away. Why'd you go? There are so many stories about why you left!" Lissa and I exchanged glances as Natalie prattled on. "Camille said one of you got pregnant and went off to have an abortion, but I knew that couldn't be true. Someone else said you went off to hang out with Rose's mom, but I figured Ms. Kirova and Daddy wouldn't have been so upset if you'd turned up there. Did you know we might get to be roommates? I was talking to…"

On and on she chatted, flashing her fangs as she spoke. I smiled politely, letting Lissa deal with the onslaught until Natalie asked a dangerous question.

"What'd you do for blood, Lissa?"

The table regarded us questioningly. Lissa froze, but I immediately jumped in, the lie coming effortlessly to my lips."

"I'm not sure that's something to be proud of," Sydney says, shaking her head at Rose exasperatedly, though she had an amused smile on her face.

**" "Oh, it's easy. There are a lot of humans who want to do it."**

"Really?" asked one of Natalie's friends, wide-eyed.

"Yup. You find 'em at parties and stuff. They're all looking for a fix from something, and they don't really get that a vampire's doing it: most are already so wasted they don't remember anyway." My already vague details dried up, so I simply shrugged in as cool and confident a way as I could manage. It wasn't like any of them knew any better. "Like I said, it's easy. Almost easier than with our own feeders."

Natalie accepted this and then launched into some other topic. Lissa shot me a grateful look.

Ignoring the conversation again, I took in the old faces, trying to figure out who was hanging out with whom and how power had shifted within the school. Mason, sitting with a group of novices, caught my eye, and I smiled. Near him, a group of Moroi royals sat, laughing over something. Aaron and the blond girl sat there too.

"Hey, Natalie," I said, turning around and cutting her off. She didn't seem to notice or mind. "Who's Aaron's new girlfriend?"

"Huh? Oh. Mia Rinaldi." Seeing my blank look, she asked, "Don't you remember her?"

"Should I? Was she here when we left?"

"She's always been here," said Natalie. "She's only a year younger than us."

I shot a questioning look at Lissa, who only shrugged."

"Don't I feel so loved," Mia muttered.

"Well, _you should_. Liss and I rarely took that much of interest in an individual; _especially_ not enough to ask _Natalie_." Roza says with a grin, which made Mia laugh.

I kissed the top of her head, Roza always knew how to lighten someone up; It's one of the many reasons why I love her.

**" "Why is she so pissed off at us?" I asked. "Neither of us know her."**

**"I don't know," answered Natalie. "Maybe she's jealous about Aaron. She wasn't much of anybody when you guys left. She got really popular really fast. She isn't royal or anything, but once she started dating Aaron, she - "**

"Okay, thanks," I interrupted. "It doesn't really - "

My eyes lifted up from Natalie's face to Jesse Zeklos's,"

Hearing that kid's name made me growl and tighten my hold on Rose, who put her hand on my cheek and kissed me softly,

"Relax, Comrade. This isn't even the lounge part." She says, smirking. Hearing her refer to that made me growl again and she laughed, asking Lissa to read.

**"Just as he passed by our table. Ah, Jesse. I'd forgotten about him."**

_And it should've stayed that way._I thought, glaring the book.

**"I liked flirting with Mason and some of the other novices, but Jesse was in an entirely different category. You flirted with the other guys simply for the sake of flirting. You flirted with Jesse in the hopes of getting semi-naked with him."**

"Hey, Rose; did you ever flirt with Dimitri?" Mia asks, smirking. The question made me slightly uncomfortable. Sure, after the whole shooting incident, I had let down my walls and begun openly expressing my love for Roza; But that didn't mean I wanted all the details of our personal life to be known.

Roza scoffs, "Don't I wish."

"So, wait – _you two never flirted?_" Vika asks, eyes wide, "I mean, not that I wanna know, but…_how in the world did you two fall in love?!_"

"You'll find out eventually." Roza says vaguely, which caused Vika to glare at her.

**"He was a royal Moroi, and he was so hot, he should have worn a warning: flammable sign. He met my eyes and grinned.**

**"Hey Rose, welcome back. You still breaking hearts?"**

"Are you volunteering?"

His grin widened. "Let's hang out sometime and find out. If you ever get parole." "

I try to stifle my growl but that only adds to Roza's amusement.

**"He kept walking, and I watched him admiringly. Natalie and her friends stared at me in awe. I might not be a god in the Dimitri sense, but with this group, Lissa and I were gods - or at least former gods - of another nature.**

"Oh my gawd," exclaimed one girl. I didn't remember her name. "That was Jesse."

"Yes," I said, smiling. "It certainly was."

"I wish I looked like you," she added with a sigh.

Their eyes fell on me. Technically, I was half-Moroi, but my looks were human. I'd blended in well with humans during our time away, so much so that I'd barely thought about my appearance at all. Here, among the slim and small-chested Moroi girls, certain features - meaning my larger breasts and more defined hips - stood out. I knew I was pretty, but to Moroi boys, my body was more than just pretty: it was sexy in a risqué way. Dhampirs were an exotic conquest, a novelty all Moroi guys wanted to "try."

It was ironic that dhampirs had such an allure here, because slender Moroi girls looked very much like the super-skinny runway models so popular in the human world. Most humans could never reach that "ideal" skinniness, just as Moroi girls could never look like me. Everyone wanted what she couldn't have."

"You would certainly know about that, wouldn't you; with the whole star crossed lovers thing you and Dimitri had." Mia says looking at Rose, who merely shrugs in response; _Roza looked almost nauseous_, much to my confusion.

**"Lissa and I got to sit together in our shared afternoon classes but didn't do much talking. The stares she'd mentioned certainly did follow us, but I found that the more I talked to people, the more they warmed up. Slowly, gradually, they seemed to remember who we were, and the novelty - though not the intrigue - of our crazy stunt wore off.**

Or maybe I should say, they remembered who I was. Because I was the only one talking. Lissa stared straight ahead, listening but neither acknowledging nor participating in my attempts at conversation. I could feel anxiety and sadness pouring out of her."

Lissa had barely finished the sentence when Roza jumped out of my arms and made a beeline towards the nearest bathroom, I was hot on her heels. Roza barely made it to the toilet, before retching; She leaned over the toilet, discarding all of her breakfast and the chocolate bars she had had afterwards, while I hold her hair, rubbing her back and murmuring to her in Russian so that she can't understand what I'm saying because I'm freaked – _was she sick?_But dhampirs don't get sick; _Oh God, what was wrong with her?_

After nearly _ten minutes_ of throwing up, Roza finally moves towards the sink, not meeting my eyes as she brushed her teeth but as soon as she's done, I spin her around, holding her in a firm hug, which she returns after a few seconds of hesitation.

"Roza -" I begin, pulling back slightly to look at her.

"You shouldn't have had to see that, I'm sorry."

"Roza, of course I had to see that; I love you, _Milaya_, and I always will even if your complexion is flushed and you're hair is disheveled from minutes of puking – I will always love you and I will always be there for you. Now, tell me -"

She didn't let me finish my question as her lips crashed against mine, I taste her, and that would be enough to derail my train of thought, but this time I tasted her tears too, which made me pull back and kiss away her tears instead.

After she'd calmed down, I look at her again, "Roza -"

"I'm pregnant." She chokes out, and I freeze.

_Roza. Pregnant. With a baby._My_baby. Oh God, that explains her behavior. Is this what she was hiding from me? I'm going to be a father. I'm going to be the father to mine and Roza's child. Oh, I wish our baby has her hair…and her beautiful eyes and –_

"Dimitri?" Roza whispers. Barely audible as she looks at me with a pain-stricken look, and I realize I hadn't responded to her.

"Dimitri, I _swear_, the baby's yours. I didn't cheat on you, I _wouldn't_ cheat on you, _I love you_. _Pease believe me_, I -" I interrupt her rambling by kissing her, forcefully and passionately.

After a while, I pull back and rest my forehead against hers, "_Of course_ I believe you, _Milaya_. This is amazing; we're going to be parents, our baby is going to be so beautiful."

"But, how can you so easily accept this? Aren't you going to ask _how_?" She says.

"Roza, of course I'm confused as to how this is possible but I would never even dare to _think_that you would cheat on me but for right now, I just want to hold you and be happy." I say as I kiss her and then get down on my knees to kiss her still flat stomach, cradling it with my palm afterwards…_Our baby._

As we move back towards the living room, Rose quickly summarizes the whole spirit users' inquisition and RM's 'package' to me and as soon as we are in a wide enough area (meaning the living room), I can't help but pick up and spin her around, setting her down after a quick kiss.

Roza stumbles a little and I steady her, "Comrade, I get that you're happy but…don't spin me around – it makes me nauseous."

My eyes widen as she says that and I apologize, "Shit, I'm so sorry, Roza, I-"

She cuts me off, laughing. "What?" I ask, confused.

"You cursed in English." She says cheekily and I can't help grinning back at her.

Everyone seemed to be looking at us confusedly and I noticed Rose nod a little at Lissa which causes her to jump up and squeal, engulfing Roza in a hug.

"Um, are we missing something?" Christian asks me, since both our girlfriends are too occupied with each other.

"We'll tell you all after the chapter is finished." I say, which instills murmurs from the crowds, coaxing Lissa to get back to reading so they can all find out what everything was about. Roza and I settle down in our previous positions, only I position her I a way that my hand rests discreetly on her stomach and kiss her neck – _I've never been so happy in my life._

As I thought this, I noticed Roza frowning at nothing in particular in annoyance; this confused me but I let it go; she'll tell me when she wants to, but my interest and curiosity remained.

**" "All right," I told her when classes finally ended. We stood outside the school, and I was fully aware that in doing so, I was already breaking the terms of my agreement with Kirova."**

"Took you long enough," Sonya Karp says amusedly.

**" "We're not staying here," I told her, looking around the campus uneasily. "I'm going to find a way to get us out."**

**"You think we could really do it a second time?" Lissa asked quietly.**

"Absolutely," I spoke with certainty, again relieved she couldn't read my feelings."

"The fact that Lissa just read out that sentence makes it a paradox, don't you think?" Sydney says, grinning.

"Huh, you're right, I-" Lissa begins, only to be interrupted by Roza,

"Guys, you can discuss the semantics later, get the chapter over with already."

Lissa and Sydney pouted simultaneously but let it go, Lissa getting back to the book, while Sydney snuggled back up with Adrian and he whispered something in her ear that made her blush; I'm glad those two are happy, they're good together and I know how much them being together makes Rose happy.

**Escaping the first time had been tricky enough. Doing it again would be a real bitch, not that I couldn't still find a way.**

**"You really would, wouldn't you?" She smiled, more to herself than to me, like she'd thought of something funny. "Of course you would. It's just, well…" She sighed. "I don't know if we should go. Maybe - maybe we should stay."**

I blinked in astonishment. "What?" Not one of my more eloquent answers, but the best I could manage. I'd never expected this from her.

"I saw you, Rose. I saw you talking to the other novices during class, talking about practice. You miss that."

"It's not worth it," I argued. "Not if…not if you…" I couldn't finish, but she was right. She'd read me. I had missed the other novices. Even some of the Moroi. But there was more to it than just that. The weight of my inexperience, how much I'd fallen behind, had been growing all day."

"You were still the best any of us had ever seen, Rose." Alberta says and I feel my heart clench at the reminder that I had missed her graduation. I had had a special bracelet made for her as an early graduation and a late birthday present but…I never got to give it to her.

"Give what to whom, Comrade?" Roza asks and I realize that I had spoken the last part of my thoughts out loud.

"Oh, I…Um, I had a present for you, it was supposed to be a late birthday and an early graduation present – I was going to give it to you on the morning of the final trials but…" I trail off, my eyes saddening.

"Oh Comrade," Roza says as she shifts to hug me.

"Wait just a minute." Alberta says as she gets up and moves towards what I assume to be her room but I pay her no further attention and focus on Roza, on her scent and the feel of her against me. That present was meant to be a token of my love for her, a physical tie to the promise I had made – That I would always be there for her, that we would work it out. I was still mulling over my thoughts, when Alberta returned,

"Here you are." She says, but I don't give it any thought until Roza nudges me.

I turn towards Alberta, letting go of Roza, though not completely and freeze at what is in front of me, it was the rectangular box, wrapped in gold and purple wrapping paper with a little card attached to it; It was the present I had for Roza. I remember I had just finished packing it when I got a call from Alberta and the both of us ended up at the fountain scene – the night of the cabin.

"H-How did you -" I stutter.

"I found it while you room was being evacuated and kept it after I read the tag," Seeing my horrified expression, she continues, "Relax, I didn't read the note, just the name it was addressed to. I kept it and decided to give it to her on her birthday because that's what I assumed it was for. Now take it."

I reach forward with shaking hands, afraid that it might disappear but have to refrain from exhaling in relief when it doesn't. I take it from Alberta and look at her gratefully, turning towards Roza,

"Give it to me later, Comrade. When we're alone," She says, winking at me. I resist the urge to give it to her and turn my attention towards Lissa who looks about ready to cry but composes herself.

**" "It might be better," she countered. "I haven't had as many…you know, things happening in a while. I haven't felt like anyone was following or watching us."**

I didn't say anything to that. Before we'd left the Academy, she'd always felt like someone was following her, like she was being hunted. I'd never seen evidence to support that, but I had once heard one of our teachers go on and on about the same sort of thing. Ms. Karp. She'd been a pretty Moroi, with deep auburn air and high cheekbones. And I was pretty sure she'd been crazy."

"No offence, I mean, I didn't know about Spirit back then." Roza says quickly which elicits a chuckle from Sonya.

"None taken, Rosemarie, I was indeed crazy, but I will take the compliment." She says, grinning.

"And _that_is why I liked you, well, _before_the whole going crazy thing." Rose says, grinning cheekily at her.

**" "You never know who's watching," she used to say, walking briskly around the classroom as she shut all the blinds.**

**"Or who's following you. Best to be safe. Best to always be safe." We'd snickered amongst ourselves because that's what students do around eccentric and paranoid teachers. The thought of Lissa acting like her bothered me.**

"What's wrong?" Lissa asked, noticing that I was lost in thought.

"Huh? Nothing. Just thinking." I sighed, trying to balance my own wants with what was best for her. "Liss, we can stay, I guess…but there are a few conditions."

**This made her laugh. "A Rose ultimatum, huh?" "**

"You'd be surprised at how often Adrian and I have gotten one of those." I say, grinning at Adrian who smirked back at me.

"Well, it was new thing for me." Lissa say in a very…Rose-like manner.

**" "I'm serious." Words I didn't say very much. "I want you to stay away from the royals. Not like Natalie or anything but you know, the others. The power players. Camille. Carly. That group." "**

"Rosemarie! Are you lecturing _The Queen_about political groups?" Christian mocked, but Lissa and Rose both ignored him which made him look at Lissa like he'd been betrayed while Rose smiled smugly.

**"Her amusement turned to astonishment. "Are you serious?"**

"Sure. You never liked them anyway."

"You did."

"No. Not really. I liked what they could offer. All the parties and stuff."

"And you can go without that now?" She looked skeptical.

"Sure. We did in Portland."

"Yeah, but that was different." Her eyes stared off, not really focused on any one thing. "Here…here I've got to be a part of that. I can't avoid it."

"The hell you do. Natalie stays out of that stuff."

"Natalie isn't going to inherit her family's title," she retorted. "I've already got it. I've got to be involved, start making connections. Andre - "

"Liss," I groaned. "You aren't Andre." I couldn't believe she was still comparing herself to her brother.

"He was always involved in all that stuff."

"Yeah, well," I snapped back, "he's dead now." "

Lissa flinched ever so slightly at reading that and I noticed Rose mouthing _I'm sorry_to her when Lissa met her eyes.

"Harsh," Vika says, "You guys sure you're best friends?" But Rose and Lissa didn't answer, instead Lissa read on.

**"Her face hardened. "You know, sometimes you aren't very nice."**

"You don't keep me around to be nice. You want nice, there are a dozen sheep in there who would rip each other's throats to get in good with the Dragomir princess. You keep me around to tell you the truth, and here it is: Andre's dead. You're the heir now, and you're going to deal with it however you can. But for now, that means staying away from the other royals. We'll just lie low. Coast through the middle. Get involved in that stuff again, Liss, and you'll drive yourself…"

"Crazy?" she supplied when I didn't finish.

Now I looked away. "I didn't mean…"

"It's okay." she said, after a moment. She sighed and touched my arm. "Fine. We'll stay and we'll keep out of all that stuff. We'll 'coast through the middle' like you want. Hang out with Natalie, I guess."

To be perfectly honest, I didn't want any of that."

"I _knew_it!" Lissa screeched which made Rose laugh and shake her head at her,

"Of course you did, Liss. You might not have had a psychic bond but you're my best friend, you know me better than you think, now read."

Lissa grinned, satisfied and continued with the book.

**"I wanted to go to all the royal parties and wild drunken festivities like we'd done before. We'd kept out of that life for years until Lissa's parents and brother died. Andre should have been the one to inherit her family's title, and he'd certainly acted like it. Handsome and outgoing, he'd charmed everyone he knew and had been a leader in all the royal cliques and clubs that existed on campus. After his death, Lissa had felt it was her family duty to take his place.**

**I'd gotten to join that world with her. It was easy for me, because I didn't really have to deal with the politics of it. I was a pretty dhampir, one who didn't mind getting into trouble and pulling crazy stunts. I became a novelty; they liked having me around for the fun of it.**

**Lissa had to deal with other matters. The Dragomirs were one of the twelve ruling families. She'd have a very powerful place in Moroi society, and the other young royals wanted to get in good with her. Fake friends tried to schmooze her and get her to team up against other people. The royals could bribe and backstab in the same breath - and that was just with each other. To dhampirs and non-royals, they were completely unpredictable.**

That cruel culture had eventually taken its toll on Lissa. She had an open, kind nature, one that I loved, and I hated to see her upset and stressed by royal games."

Christian groaned, "We know all this."

"Sparky, don't piss me off. Remember what I said in the beginning or you might regret it." Roza threatened. I could only imagine what pregnancy hormones would do to Roza's already short temper, and smiled slightly at the thought.

**"She'd grown fragile since the accident, and all the parties in the world weren't worth seeing her hurt."**

"Man, I don't think even Dimka was this dedicated and that's saying something." Vika began, "I mean, he practically slept in Ivan's bed."

Adrian looked at me with his eyebrow cocked, "As far as I remember, Ivan was like my mentor. How in the world could you sleep in his bed, unless there's something you aren't telling us, Belikov?" Adrian says with a smirk and I groan.

"Hold on, you _knew_Ivan?" Roza asks him.

"Oh, yeah. I was temporarily transferred to their Academy because of…_something,_I can't remember what. And I met Dimitri and Ivan, they were in the back of the Academy, drinking Russian Vodka and Ivan offered me some after I ran into them and we became friends." Adrian explains. He had been transferred to our Academy because of an overflow of students (or that's what most of us were told), Adrian believed his father simply needed a reason to visit her mistress; not that I'd mention that.

"And how did I not know about this before?!" Roza exclaims, turning to glare at me, her eyes occasionally darting behind me.

"It never came up, Roza. And, well…after the ski lodge incident, we had been wary of each other, because of well…you know, _you._" I say quickly, hoping that she'll calm down.

"So, wait…is this how you knew about Dimitri and me, because you knew him well enough to decipher his expressions, because you were drunk a lot during that trip so it couldn't have been the auras. And you, you knew so much about Adrian because you'd experienced it first hand, right? And, it was basically, you're aforementioned friendship that enabled you two to work together to get us out of Spokane?" Roza says, with both her eyebrows raised.

I nod at her, not sure what to expect, Roza simply nods and asks, "So, what do you mean Ivan was your mentor?"

Adrian opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Vika, "You guys can talk about that later; just finish the damn chapter so we can know what's up with Dimka and Rose." Her outburst made Rose laugh and Lissa began reading.

**" "All right then," I said finally. "We'll see how this goes. If anything goes wrong - anything at all - we leave. No arguments."**

**She nodded.**

"Rose?"

We both looked up at Dimitri's looming form. I hoped he hadn't heard the part about us leaving."

"I had, but I let it go, trusting that you wouldn't do anything without a reason." I informed her.

**" "You're late for practice," he said evenly. Seeing Lissa, he gave a polite nod. "Princess."**

**As he and I walked away, I worried about Lissa and wondered if staying here was the right thing to do. I felt nothing alarming through the bond, but her emotions spiked all over the place. Confusion. Nostalgia. Fear. Anticipation. Strong and powerful, they flooded into me.**

I felt the pull just before it happened. It was exactly like what had happened on the plane: her emotions grew so strong that they "sucked" me into her head before I could stop them. I could now see and feel what she did."

Lissa groaned but otherwise continued reading.

**"She walked slowly around the commons, toward the small Russian Orthodox chapel that served most of the school's religious needs. Lissa had always attended mass regularly. Not me.**

I had a standing arrangement with God: I'd agree to believe in him - barely - so long as he let me sleep in on Sundays."

"Rose," Sydney says exasperatedly.

**"But as she went inside, I could feel that she wasn't there to pray. She had another purpose, one I didn't know about. Glancing around, she verified that neither the priest nor any worshippers were close by. The place was empty.**

**Slipping through a doorway in the back of the chapel, she climbed a narrow set of creaky stairs up into the attic. Here it was dark and dusty. The only light came through a large stained-glass window that fractured the faint glow of sunrise into tiny, multicolored gems across the floor."**

"Sounds pretty," Jill whispered, as though speaking aloud would shatter the whole scene.

"It was," Lissa agrees silently, before continuing.

**"I hadn't known until that moment that this room was a regular retreat for Lissa. But now I could feel it, feel her memories of how she used to escape here to be alone and to think. The anxiety in her ebbed away ever so slightly as she took in the familiar surroundings. She climbed up into the window seat and leaned her head back against its side, momentarily entranced by the silence and the light.**

Moroi could stand some sunlight, unlike the Strigoi, but they had to limit their exposure. Sitting here, she could almost pretend she was in the sun, protected by the glass's dilution of the rays.

Breathe, just breathe, she told herself. It'll be okay. Rose will take care of everything.

She believed that passionately, like always, and relaxed further.

Then a low voice spoke from the darkness.

"You can have the Academy but not the window seat."

She sprang up, heart pounding. I shared her anxiety, and my own pulse quickened. "Who's there?"

A moment later, a shape rose from behind a stack of crates, just outside her field of vision. The figure stepped forward, and in the poor lighting, familiar features materialized. Messy black hair. Pale blue eyes. A perpetually sardonic smirk.

Christian Ozera."

"_Finally!_" Christian says.

**" "Don't worry," he said. "I won't bite. Well, at least not in the way you're afraid of." He chuckled at his own joke.**

She didn't find it funny. She had completely forgotten about Christian. So had I."

"Charming," Christian says dryly.

**"No matter what happened in our world, a few basic truths about vampires remained the same."**

"_Ugh,_ I don't like where this going." He says, groaning.

"I know, I'm sorry, but I can't control my thoughts." Rose apologized quietly.

**"Moroi were alive; Strigoi were undead. Moroi were mortal; Strigoi were immortal. Moroi were born; Strigoi were made.**

**And there were two ways to make a Strigoi. Strigoi could forcibly turn humans, dhampirs, or Moroi with a single bite. Moroi tempted by the promise of immortality could become Strigoi by choice if they purposely killed another person while feeding. Doing that was considered dark and twisted, the greatest of all sins, both against the Moroi way of life and nature itself. Moroi who chose this dark path lost their ability to connect with elemental magic and other powers of the world. That was why they could no longer go into the sun.**

This is what had happened to Christian's parents. They were Strigoi."

Lissa closed the book and kissed Christian softly, who in turn looked at her in awe; their moment was, however, disturbed by Vika clearing her throat,

"End of the Chapter, now tell us what you were so happy about." She demands, hands on her hips, she had moved to stand in front of Roza and I. I look towards Roza, who takes a deep breath as I squeeze her hand,

"I'm pregnant."

* * *

**SO LONG. ._.**

**Anyways...I hope you like it. Tell me what you think...don't spare the details. I wanna know your opinions on the beginning POVs, and this chap in DPOV. Also, what'd you guys think of Dimitri's reaction? And the present that he got her? The details for that will have to wait, though. **

**Also, what about the whole Dimitri/Adrian/Ivan situation? And, I know that Abe, Olena, Janine and the almost mention of Rhea might seem a bit ridiculous, but it's a well planned plot twist. Oh, and what'd you think of my take on their 'messed up family'? And Christian and Dimitri's weird Conversation? ;)**

**And...finally, tell me what you think their reactions are gonna be - but, if you're an old reader, don't give anything away. ;)**

**Till Next Time, Lovelies! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, so touchy chapter guys. Writing this was Hell because I wanted it to be perfect and I'm still not completely satisfied with it, so...I hope you guys like it. :D**

**Zatha (Guest): I'm sorry but I don't have any recommendations...I never read any. :/ If any of you have any recommendations, please share them, thanks. :)**

**Graystars576 (Guest): Okay, so I understsnd where you're coming from, but I just wanted to show a more open and care-free side to Dimitri, as we read in TLS. I felt the book didn't do justice to how Dimitri changed, and so I just wanted to show how he didn't want to hide his love for Rose anymore because this was their second chance and he wasn't going to waste it. Does that make any sense to you? If not, I'll try to change my approach, okay? :)**

**Discalimer: Sigh, this always makes me sad. I don't own VA, guys. **

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**RPOV**

The announcement just seemed to stun everyone – There were open, gaping faces; Round, wide eyes of alternating colors; Swirls of confusion, shock, happiness and _anger?_

Before I had any more time to dwell on that, I was blinded by a blur of curls engulfing me in a hug.

"Oh My God…You're pregnant. Congratulations. I am so happy for you guys. This is so great, but wait – you're both guardians, that could be hard, but then again, all of us will be there to help. Oh, I hope the baby's cute. I'm sure Lissa's going to spoil him. I'm going to take so many pictures and -"

"Whoa, easy Jill. Breathe." I say as she endlessly gushes over my pregnancy, but at the same time her happiness overjoyed me. I wanted all of them to understand and accept –

"Hold on, How is this even possible? Not that I'm not happy for you, Rose…but, I'm a little confused." Mia asks, scrunching up her face and titling her head to the side.

"I think it's an affect of Spirit or something, that's the only reasonable explanation. Other than that, I am so happy for you guys, you're going to be amazing parents. Though, the prospect of a Mini Rose scares me." Sydney says, grinning at the end.

"Me too. I mean, I was a nightmare growing up -"

"Understatement," Mom mutters.

"Of the century," Alberta continues and then both of them smile at each other and then at me.

"But, seriously…Is Sydney's theory right? Is it a Spirit thing?" Christian asks, turning towards Liss who was the only person not surprised in the room and looked about ready to shoot ten feet in the air, out of her skin, out of mere happiness.

Before I can confirm anything, a booming voice interrupted, "_Belikov! Tell me you did _not_ get my daughter pregnant!_"

Yeah, leave it to Abe to ruin the good mood, but apparently the mood was about to get much, _much _worse; Dimitri was about to answer but was interrupted by his sister Sonya,

"Well, _of course _Dimka didn't get her pregnant. _That's absurd!_ It's obvious she _cheated_ on him!" Sonya all but growled with disgust.

Her accusation made my eyes go wide. Is that what everyone thinks? That I cheated on Dimitri? But I would never –

My internal ramblings were cut off by Dimitri, "Don't you _dare, _Sonya. Don't you dare accuse her of cheating on me. She would_ never_ do such a thing."

"Oh? And how would you know? How long have you really known her? Didn't she just move on after you were turned?" She says while glaring at me.

Dimitri, noticing her glare and my discomfort, takes a step forward, half obscuring me from her view, "Oh no, don't you protect her, we all know she just hopped into bed with Ivashkov the minute she returned from Russia."

The venom, anger and disgust that lace her voice make me flinch as tears threaten to fall from my eyes.

"You take that back. _You don't know anything about her_, about _me_, about _us._ She didn't _jump into bed with Ivashkov_, she _moved on_ because that's what I wanted her to do. Rose wouldn't cheat on me, not after everything we've been through, not after all the pain I've put her through. You know what our relationship had been based on for the past year? Me _hurting_ her; But despite all that, she didn't give up on me, she never stopped loving me. So, Don't. You. _Dare_. Accuse her of _anything!_" He's practically yelling at the end of his rant, and it pains me that I'm the reason that he's fighting with his sister.

I put my hand on Dimitri's arm, squeezing gently, in an attempt to calm him down and it works for a little while, until Sonya opens her mouth again, but this time talking rapidly in Russian.

The more Sonya spoke, the tenser Dimitri became – the whole ordeal was frustrating and upsetting me. So, for once, I was happy when Yeva intervened; she spoke something in Russian so loudly and so quickly I'm surprised the two of them understood.

Regardless, Sonya glares at me one more time before sitting in a secluded corner of the room with her arms crossed. Dimitri, on the other hand turns to me and his eyes soften; he holds me against him in a hug and murmurs sweet soothing nonsense in my ear, even though I should be the one calming him down.

After a few moments of silence, Olena clears her throat and says,

"Well, I'm glad you're going to give me more grandbabies, Roza. I always imagined how beautiful your and Dimka's babies would be." Sonya scoffs loudly at that, but is mostly ignored, which I think is further pissing her off.

"Thank you, Olena." I smile at her.

"You know, not to be rude or anything, but I _would_ like to know how this is possible." Karolina says almost timidly. I think she's scared after Dimitri and Sonya's fight.

"I…um -" I stutter but thankfully Oksana comes to my rescue.

"Sydney was right in assuming that this is Spirit related. We had already confronted Rose some time ago since we saw some changes in her aura. We believe that since Rose has been touched by Spirit, it has altered her DNA, and same is the case with Dimitri, so both of them can have kids." She concludes, smiling brightly at us.

"But, wait. How -" Eddie begins, frowning but I cut him off.

"How about we continue with the book? I'm sure some facts will come up that will help clarify this."

There were nods and murmurs of agreement all around the room as everyone settled down. I look around the room, trying to decide who should read next, when I'm surprised by Paul's voice.

"Aunty Roza, can I read? I'm old enough to read the difficult words, Mama lets me read some of Aunty Vika's old school books sometimes. Can I, Please?" He draws the please too long and it's so adorable that I cave.

Smiling at him, I hand the book to Karolina, "Okay, Paul. You can read it."

He jumps up – no kidding – and cheers loudly before sitting back down and adopting a serious expression. The whole thing was so cute and Dimitri-like (well, besides the jumping and cheering) that I couldn't help but smile.

He grins at me, clears his throat and begins reading,

**"CHAPTER FIVE**

**Or rather, they had been Strigoi. A regiment of guardians had hunted them down and killed them. If rumors were true, Christian had witnessed it all when he was very young.**

**And although he wasn't Strigoi himself, some people thought he wasn't far off, with the way he always wore black and kept to himself."**

"Don't you like to wear Black too?" Christian retorts.

"Well, of course I do. I look good in Black." I say with a smirk.

Christian just rolls his eyes.

**"Strigoi or not, I didn't trust him. He was a jerk,"**

"You're one to say." Christian mutters but I wisely choose to ignore him.

**"And I silently screamed at Lissa to get out of there - not that my screaming did much good. Stupid one-way bond.**

**"What are you doing here?" she asked.**

"Taking in the sights, of course. That chair with the tarp on it is particularly lovely this time of year. Over there, we have an old box full of the writings of the blessed and crazy St. Vladimir. And let's not forget that beautiful table with no legs in the corner.""

"Gotta love your sarcasm, Ozera." Adrian says.

"You know, personally I think Lissa would never have been able to be with Christian had it not been for Rose." Mia says.

Christian and I frown at each other and he asks warily, "How so?"

"Well, she gave her a lifetime's worth of tolerance for sarcasm." Mia says grinning.

Christian just scoffs and I stick my tongue out at her as there are snickers all around the room.

**" "Whatever." She rolled her eyes and moved toward the door, wanting to leave, but he blocked her way.**

"Well, what about you?" he taunted. "Why are you up here? Don't you have parties to go to or lives to destroy?"

Some of Lissa's old spark returned."

"What do you mean old spark? I still had it." Lissa says, offended.

"You know what I mean Liss." I say with a pointed look.

Lissa says nothing else and Paul continues.

**" "Wow, that's hilarious. Am I like a rite of passage now? Go and see if you can piss off Lissa to prove how cool you are? Some girl I don't even know yelled at me today, and now I've got to deal with you? What does it take to be left alone?"**

**"Oh. So that's why you're up here. For a pity party."**

"This isn't a joke. I'm serious." I could tell Lissa was getting angry. It was trumping her earlier distress.

He shrugged and leaned casually against the sloping wall. "So am I. I love pity parties. I wish I'd brought the hats. What do you want to mope about first? How it's going to take you a whole day to be popular and loved again? How you'll have to wait a couple weeks before Hollister can ship out some new clothes? If you spring for rush shipping, it might not be so long.""

"Why do you even know about all that? I have to say, Christian, you lost some man points." Mia says giggling.

"Oh, shut up! If you remember, you were the one that used to whine about stuff like that to me when we talked." Christian begins with a frown but ends on a smirk.

Mia merely flips him off, though she tries to be discrete about it.

**" "Let me leave," she said angrily, this time pushing him aside.**

"Wait," he said, as she reached the door. The sarcasm disappeared from his voice."

"_That's possible?_" Adrian mock gasps.

"Yes, it's possible. Now can we just read without interruptions for a few minutes?" I snap, glaring at him.

"Geez, no need to yell, Little Dhampir; guess the mood swings are finally kicking in." He whispers the last bit to Sydney but I hear it – one advantage of my new weird abilities is heightened senses, and that's saying something since Dhampirs already have amazing senses – and glare at him.

**" "What…um, what was it like?"**

**"What was what like?" she snapped.**

"Being out there. Away from the Academy."

She hesitated for a moment before answering, caught off guard by what seemed like a genuine attempt at conversation. "It was great. No one knew who I was. I was just another face. Not Moroi. Not royal. Not anything." She looked down at the floor. "Everyone here thinks they know who I am." "

"Isn't that worse now? I mean, with you being the Queen and all." Paul pauses in his reading long enough to ask.

Liss takes a minute to think about it, running her hand through her platinum hair.

"That's a trick question. I'm going to say the answer will vary circumstantially." She says diplomatically, proving just how great of a choice she was as the Queen.

Paul nods, satisfied with the answer but before reading on, he says, "I can see why you're the Queen. You're smart."

This causes all of us to burst out laughing. After we all calm down, Paul clears his throat and reads ahead.

**" "Yeah. It's kind of hard to outlive your past," he said bitterly.**

It occurred to Lissa at that moment - and me to by default – "

"Yeah, because our Rosie is too dumb for proper deductions," Christian says, grinning.

And to my surprise, Eddie replies, "Rose is very good with deductions and analytical judgments."

He sounded almost defensive, which confused me; and the look he shares with my mother, Alberta and Dimitri after that just confuses me further.

_What is it with the weird comments and secretive Guardian Communication?_

"Whoa, Relax, I was kidding." Christian says, trying to ease up the suddenly solemn atmosphere.

**"Just how hard it might be to be Christian. Most of the time, people treated him like he didn't exist. Like he was a ghost. They didn't talk to or about him. They just didn't notice him. The stigma of his parents' crime was too strong, casting its shadow onto the entire Ozera family.**

**Still, he'd pissed her off, and she wasn't about to feel sorry for him.**

"Wait - is this your pity party now?"

He laughed, almost approvingly. "This room has been my pity party for a year now."

"Sorry," said Lissa snarkily."

"Lissa can be snarky?" Vika says jokingly which causes the rest of us – who knew Lissa, of course – to laugh.

"Only occasionally," I say with a grin and Liss glares playfully at me.

**" "I was coming here before I left. I've got a longer claim."**

**"Squatters' rights. Besides, I have to make sure I stay near the chapel as much as possible so people know I haven't gone Strigoi…yet." Again, the bitter tone rang out.**

"I used to always see you at mass. Is that the only reason you go? To look good?" Strigoi couldn't enter holy ground. More of that sinning-against-the-world thing.

"Sure," he said. "Why else go? For the good of your soul?""

"_YES!_" Sydney nearly screams, suddenly all offended.

"It's okay, Sydney. Just ignore it. Trust me, it works." Liss says, glaring at Christian and I as the both of us tried to stifle our laughter.

**" "Whatever," said Lissa, who clearly had a different opinion. "I'll leave you alone then."**

"Wait," he said again. He didn't seem to want her to go."

I saw Christian blush a little as Paul read that out, but no one noticed. I decided not to say anything; I oddly found it adorable that he was trying everything possible to keep her there. But I _will_ use it against him later – I'm Rose Hathaway, after all.

**" "I'll make you a deal. You can hang out here too if you tell me one thing."**

**"What?" She glanced back at him.**

He leaned forward. "Of all the rumors I heard about you today - and believe me, I heard plenty, even if no one actually told them to me - there was one that didn't come up very much. They dissected everything else: why you left, what you did out there, why you came back, the specialization, what Rose said to Mia, blah, blah, blah. And in all of that, no one, no one ever questioned that stupid story that Rose told about there being all sorts of fringe humans who let you take blood."

She looked away, and I could feel her cheeks starting to burn."

"Geez, a few minutes with the guy and he has you blushing like a virgin." Vika jokes, smirking at Lissa.

Lissa blushed, so I decided to embarrass her a little more, "She actually wasn't a virgin back then."

Lissa glares at him while Christian frowns. Eddie, though asks, "How does Lissa give it up before you, Rose?"

I glare and soon his smirk drops. My victory is short lived, though, as Sydney decides to ask, "Hey, Rose. How much did Dimitri make you blush at the start of his relationship?"

She asks this with what can only be called a sly smile – Oh, how I'm proud of her. But back to the question, I can feel my cheeks burn and I turn my head into Dimitri's chest letting my hair obscure my blush as I mumble, "He still does."

Dimitri has the nerve to chuckle, "Don't hide, _Milaya_.You look beautiful when you blush."

He trails his fingers against my flushed flesh, leaving burning sensations on my already burning skin.

I was about to reply but Sonya interrupted, "Can we get back to the book already?"

I frown as Dimitri glares at her and then asks Paul to continue.

**" "It's not stupid. Or a story."**

**He laughed softly. "I've lived with humans. My aunt and I stayed away after my parents…died. It's not that easy to find blood." When she didn't answer, he laughed again. "It was Rose, wasn't it? She fed you.""**

"Well, who knew Ozera had it in him?" Adrian smirks.

"Oh, Shut Up Ivashkov! I'm smarter than you."

I had an urge to throw something at the two of them, can't we just read this book in –

"The both of you shut up and let my nephew read, or I swear to whoever you want to believe in that no matter how much Rose likes you, I _will_ shut you up – permanently." Dimitri nearly growls.

"Whoa, Cradle Robber, isn't Rose the one that's pregnant?" This causes a few laughs and chuckles.

"Yes, she is and your continuous banter is upsetting her, so stop."

It touched me that Dimitri could read me _that_ well so I lean up and peck him on the lips. He kisses me back and smiles in return.

Abe clears his throat and Paul continues.

**"A renewed fear shot through both her and me. No one at school could know about that. Kirova and the guardians on the scene knew, but they'd kept that knowledge to themselves.**

"Well. If that's not friendship, I don't know what it is," he said."

"That wasn't very nice, you know. Auntie Roza kept your girlfriend alive. You should thank her." Zoya says, though some of her words aren't pronounced properly, and have a babyish tilt to them even though she's five.

It was all so adorable and I couldn't help but smile widely.

"That isn't what I –" Christian begins, only to be cut off her.

"No. You Thank her. You thank my Roza right now, or…you won't get cookies." Zoya says, crossing her arms and finishing off with a stern(ish) look, which was cuter than it was intimidating.

Christian seems stunned for a few seconds, before he turns to me, "T-T-Thank you, Rose."

I merely laugh, along with most of the room. Zoya was about to say something else, but Paul cuts her off, "Zo, Shush. We need to finish these books. Don't you want to know how Uncle Dimka and Aunt Roza fell in love to have a happily ever after?"

He was rolling his eyes at the end, but Zoya only got an eager look on her face as she quieted down and nodded at him to continue.

**" "You can't tell anyone," she blurted out.**

**This was all we needed. As I'd just been reminded, feeders were vampire-bite addicts. We accepted that as part of life but still looked down on them for it. For anyone else - especially a dhampir - letting a Moroi take blood from you was almost, well, dirty. In fact, one of the kinkiest, practically pornographic things a dhampir could do was let a Moroi drink blood during sex."**

"What's –"

"Zo." Paul says warningly and she shuts up, frowning.

**"Lissa and I hadn't had sex, of course, but we'd both known what others would think of me feeding her."**

Zoya seemed bothered by not knowing what sex meant. It was highly amusing seeing her frown when the word was mentioned, as she opens her mouth, then looks at Paul and closes it again.

**" "Don't tell anyone," Lissa repeated.**

He stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and sat down on one of the crates. "Who am I going to tell? Look, go grab the window seat. You can have it today and hang out for a while. If you're not still afraid of me."

She hesitated, studying him."

"You were checking him out?" Adrian wolf whistled; no one bothered gracing that with a comment.

"**He looked dark and surly, lips curled in a sort of I'm-such-a-rebel smirk."**

"You're one to say. Don't you have the same smirk?" Christian scoffs.

"Of course not." I pause for dramatic effect, seeing Christian open his mouth to retort, "Mine's sexier than yours."

Christian groans as Lissa, Adrian and the rest of the gang chuckle; Even Dimitri had a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

**"But he didn't look too dangerous. He didn't look Strigoi. Gingerly, she sat back down in the window seat, unconsciously rubbing her arms against the cold.**

**Christian watched her, and a moment later, the air warmed up considerably."**

Mia, Jill, Sydney and Vika all 'Aww' simultaneously.

**"Lissa met Christian's eyes and smiled, surprised she'd never noticed how icy blue they were before."**

Lissa groans, blushing as he hides her face in the crook of Christian's neck,

"This is so not fair." Her voice comes out slightly muffled.

"Oh? And reading my thoughts is? There are probably only snippets from your thoughts in here."

Lissa looks up at my scowling face and smiles apologetically, as Paul reads on.

**" "You specialized in fire?" "**

"You didn't know? I thought Moroi specializations were well known on Campus?" Jill asks with a frown.

Liss and I look at each other, back at Jill and merely shrug.

**"He nodded and pulled up a broken chair. "Now we have luxury accommodations."**

I snapped out of the vision." "

"Thank God." Lissa exhales and even Firefly seemed a little relieved.

Oh, man. I wonder how they'd react if these books included the Church Attic incident before Winter break.

**" "Rose? Rose?"**

**Blinking, I focused on Dimitri's face. He was leaning toward me, his hands gripping my shoulders."**

"Ah, and Belikov makes his first move." Adrian says smirking.

Dimitri frowns at him, "I didn't make any _'move'_ on her. I was just worried about her and she wasn't responding."

He finishes, pulling me flush against himself. Not that I minded, though.

**"I'd stopped walking; we stood in the middle of the quad separating the upper school buildings.**

**"Are you all right?"**

"I…yeah. I was…I was with Lissa…" I put a hand to my forehead. I'd never had such a long or clear experience like that. "I was in her head." "

"Right; Like that's completely normal." Vika retorts grinning slyly at me.

I just stick my tongue out at her.

**" "Her…head?" "**

"Very Eloquent, Dimka," Karo murmurs teasingly. This causes Dimitri to smile slightly and roll his eyes as a few of us chuckle. Everyone knew Dimitri usually wasn't at a loss for words.

_Well, except when he was with me._ I added smugly.

**" "Yeah. It's part of the bond." I didn't really feel like elaborating.**

"Is she all right?"

"Yeah, she's…" I hesitated. Was she all right? Christian Ozera had just invited her to hang out with him. Not good. There was "coasting through the middle," and then there was turning to the dark side."

Christian scoffed at this, but didn't comment.

_Thank God,_ I thought. I was getting really tired.

**"But the feelings humming through our bond were no longer scared or upset. She was almost content,"**

I notice Sparky's smug expression at this and am almost tempted to slap it off of his face, but I was really craving some of his special meatloaf. Better not to ruin my chances of getting him to make it for me.

**"Though still a little nervous. "She's not in danger," I finally said. I hoped.**

**"Can you keep going?"**

The hard, stoic warrior I'd met earlier was gone - just for a moment - and he actually looked concerned. Truly concerned."

"You sound surprised, _Milaya_." Dimitri says amusedly.

"Well, of course I was. Did you meet yourself back then?" I retort, "It's a miracle I even bothered with you." I say scoffing.

Dimitri feigns hurt and, noticing my amused gaze, just chuckles and places a kiss on my neck.

**"Feeling his eyes on me like that made something flutter inside of me - which was stupid, of course."**

"Stupid? Way to make Dimka feel loved, Rose." Vika says laughing loudly.

"Oh, there's plenty more of that, don't you worry. And yes, stupid; I shouldn't have been feeling like that because of my Mentor."

"Roza, is there something you want to tell me?" Dimitri says, holding back a smile.

"Well, my mentor. _You_ were an exception, Comrade. " I say angelically smiling at him.

He returns my smile with a smug, satisfied look which made me smack his arm and he chuckled in response, pulling me even closer, if that was possible.

**"I had no reason to get all goofy, just because the man was too good-looking for his own good."**

This made everyone, and I mean _everyone_ crack up laughing while I just buried my head in Dimitri's chest, hoping no one would notice my burning cheeks.

_This was so not fair._

**"After all, he was an antisocial god, according to Mason. One who was supposedly going to leave me in all sorts of pain."**

"All sorts indeed." Adrian winks, "Tell me, Little Dhampir, how much did it hurt when-"

"Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence, Ivashkov." Abe all but growled.

_Huh. Guess he didn't want to know about personal details like that_, I thought smirking.

**" "Yeah. I'm fine."**

I went into the gym's dressing room and changed into the workout clothes someone had finally thought to give me after a day of practicing in jeans and a T-shirt."

"Gross." All the girls exclaimed together; even my mom and Alberta.

**"Gross."**

This made everyone laugh; naturally.

**"Lissa hanging out with Christian troubled me, but I shoved that thought away for later as my muscles informed me"**

"Informed you?" Adrian quirks an eyebrow.

"Wow, Rosie. You really are crazy." Christian adds.

I clench my jaw, trying not to kill both of them.

"In a manner of speaking, guys. Don't provoke her. She's pregnant; be nice." Sydney says scolding.

**"They did not want to go through any more exercise today.**

**So I suggested to Dimitri that maybe he should let me off this time.**

He laughed,"

"Wow. You haven't even known each other for a complete twenty four hours and you're already making him laugh. I fear the power you have over him." Viktoria says dramatically as Dimitri and I just roll our eyes, much to everyone's amusement.

**"And I was pretty sure it was at me and not with me.**

**"Why is that funny?"**

"Oh," he said, his smile dropping. "You were serious." "

"Oh, I bet that pissed her off." Eddie says excited.

**" "Of course I was! Look, I've technically been awake for two days. Why do we have to start this training now? Let me go to bed," I whined. "It's just one hour."**

He crossed his arms and looked down at me. His earlier concern was gone. He was all business now. Tough love."

"Tough? Didn't you manage to crack him in record time?" Vika asks incredulously, yet teasingly. Her constant questions were starting to annoy me so I just ignored her, not bothering to answer.

**" "How do you feel right now? After the training you've done so far?"**

**"I hurt like hell."**

"You'll feel worse tomorrow."

"So?"

"So, better to jump in now while you still feel…not as bad." "

"Oh man, if that's Belikov's logic…You guys were a match made in Heaven." Pyro comments, starting off a round of laughter.

**"What kind of logic is that?" I retorted."**

"Rose Logic." Nearly everyone says smugly as I roll my eyes at them.

**"But I didn't argue anymore as he led me into the weight room."**

"Wow. Dimitri, you _have_ to teach me how to handle her." My Mom says, as Alberta nods her head almost solemnly.

Dimitri smiles and opens his mouth, only to be cut off by me smacking his arm, "Shut it, Comrade! Paul; Read."

Dimitri just smiles and kisses my cheek, his warm breath on my skin calming me down._ Damn, these mood swings are gonna be a bitch._

**"He showed me the weights and reps he wanted me to do, then sprawled in a corner with a battered Western novel. Some god."**

Well, that sure got a good response. I bet I could make money just by making such comments on Dimitri with the way everyone, even Yeva, seemed to be amused by them.

**"When I finished, he stood beside me and demonstrated a few cool-down stretches.**

"How'd you end up as Lissa's guardian?" I asked. "You weren't here a few years ago. Were you even trained at this school?" "

"Curious are we?" I didn't even bother trying to discern who said that, much less to reply.

**"He didn't answer right away. I got the feeling he didn't talk about himself very often."**

Vika scoffs as Karo mutters, "Understatement."

**" "No. I attended the one in Siberia." "**

"_He actually answered?_" Viktoria asks with wide eyes.

I shrug and turn to Dimitri for an explanation. His cheeks tint a slight scarlet as he barely mumbles, "I liked Rose; I wanted to talk to her."

That was so cute; I couldn't resist leaning up and pecking him on the lips.

**" "Whoa. That's got to be the only place worse than Montana."**

A glint of something - maybe amusement - sparked in his eyes, but he didn't acknowledge the joke. "After I graduated, I was a guardian for a Zeklos lord."

The Belikov women laughed at this, "You make Ivan sound so formal, Dimka." Karo said between giggles.

**"He was killed recently." His smile dropped,"**

"He was smiling?" Vika asks surprised yet again.

"Yes, Viktoria; your brother is capable of expressing emotion. Please don't question it every time." I say, slightly annoyed.

**"His face grew dark. "They sent me here because they needed extras on campus."**

Fire-crotch laughed at this, "So, you were an extra?"

Everyone ignores him, focusing on the book. This made me smirk.

**"When the princess turned up, they assigned me to her, since I'd already be around. Not that it matters until she leaves campus."**

**I thought about what he'd said before. Some Strigoi killed the guy he was supposed to have been guarding? "Did this lord die on your watch?"**

"No. He was with his other guardian. I was away."

He fell silent, his mind obviously somewhere else. The Moroi expected a lot from us, but they did recognize that the guardians were - more or less - only human."

I grinned pointedly and teasingly at Sydney at this and she just rolled her eyes at me, smiling slightly.

**"So, guardians got pay and time off like you'd get in any other job. Some hard-core guardians - like my mom - refused vacations, vowing never to leave their Moroi's sides. Looking at Dimitri now, I had a feeling he might very well turn into one of those."**

"You think? We have to practically force vacations on the two of you!" Lissa exclaims.

Dimitri and I grin sheepishly at her.

**"If he'd been away on legitimate leave, he could hardly blame himself for what happened to that guy. Still, he probably did anyway. I'd blame myself too if something happened to Lissa."**

"And you just assumed all that?" Olena asks, speaking after a long time.

I shrug, "I could tell. I don't how to explain…but I could just read it in his eyes, I guess."

Dimitri smiled at this ad kissed my temple, smiling.

**" "Hey," I said, suddenly wanting to cheer him up,"**

Cue another ridiculous in sync 'Aww'.

**"Did you help come up with the plan to get us back? Because it was pretty good. Brute force and all that."**

**He arched an eyebrow curiously. Cool. I'd always wished I could do that."**

Dimitri smirked at this and quirked his brow at me playfully; I laugh and try to push it down with my hand which just makes the both of us and everyone else around laugh.

**" "You're complimenting me on that?"**

**"Well, it was a hell of a lot better than the last one they tried."**

"Last one?"

"Yeah. In Chicago. With the pack of psi-hounds." "

"There was no such attempt." Alberta says frowning, as Abe agrees.

**" "This was the first time we found you. In Portland." "**

"Exactly!" Alberta says frustrated.

**"I sat up from my stretches and crossed my legs. "Um, I don't think I imagined psi-hounds. Who else could have sent them? They only answer to Moroi. Maybe no one told you about it." "**

**Abe and Alberta seemed beyond frustrated at this as a few other people around the room had confused and worried looks.**

"Maybe you _did_ imagine them. I mean, you have to admit, Rose, you're kind of crazy." Mia says in an attempt to lighten the mood, but fails horribly.

**" "Maybe," he said dismissively. I could tell by his face he didn't believe that."**

"So much trust, Roza. I'm flattered." Dimitri says sarcastically; I smack his arm.

Adrian and Christian laugh at this "Looks like you're rubbing off on Belikov, Rose."

I just roll my eyes and flip them off, careful of Paul and Zoya.

**"I returned to the novices' dorm after that. The Moroi students lived on the other side of the quad, closer to the commons. The living arrangements were partly based on convenience. Being here kept us novices closer to the gym and training grounds. But we also lived separately to accommodate the differences in Moroi and dhampir lifestyles. Their dorm had almost no windows, aside from tinted ones that dimmed sunlight. They also had a special section where feeders always stayed on hand. The novices' dorm was built in a more open way, allowing for more light."**

"Not that we got to enjoy it, Stupid Vampire Schedule." I mutter.

"What are you complaining about, Rose? You always escaped your dorm at night." Eddie says amused.

"He's right, Roza. Lord knows how many times I helped sneak you back in." Dimitri says chuckling.

"Belikov! You never reported her." Alberta exclaims suddenly.

Dimitri's smile slipped, "Well, I…uh, she -"

I laughed, looking at his expression, "Oh, leave him alone, Alberta. I always gave the keys back."

I wink at him, and he just frowns, "You gave her the keys?!" Alberta yells.

"_Roza_," He groaned, "You're making it worse. And, no, I didn't give her the key. That was only time!"

Alberta was about to retort but Abe clears his throat, "Okay, let's just get on with the book. I need to feed after this chapter."

Several Moroi nodded, and we got back to the book, but Alberta was still frowning, though I could see the amusement lurking in her eyes.

**"I had my own room because there were so few novices, let alone girls. The room they'd given me was small and plain, with a twin bed and a desk with a computer. My few belongings had been spirited out of Portland and now sat in boxes around the room."**

"Well, did you expect them to unpack your stuff and hang your clothes?" Vika asks and all the girls start giggling.

I just roll my eyes at them and huff, crossing my arms.

**"I rummaged through them, pulling out a T-shirt to sleep in. I found a couple of pictures as I did, one of Lissa and me at a football game in Portland and another taken when I'd gone on vacation with her family, a year before the accident."**

Lissa snuggled closer to Dragonfly at this and even I moved closer to Dimitri. I may have not shown it all that much, but the loss of the Dragomirs really affected me, they were my pseudo-family.

**"I set them on my desk and booted up the computer. Someone from tech support had helpfully given me a sheet with instructions for renewing my e-mail account and setting up a password."**

"Helpfully? Didn't you already know how to do that?" Sydney asks, quirking her eyebrow.

I just smiled sheepishly at her which made the room erupt into laughter.

**"I did both, happy to discover no one had realized that this would serve as a way for me to communicate with Lissa."**

"Good Point. How come none of came up with that?" Alberta frowns.

"I did. Kirova waved it off," Dimitri says simply.

**"Too tired to write to her now, I was about to turn everything off when I noticed I already had a message. From Janine Hathaway. It was short:**

**I'm glad you're back. What you did was inexcusable."**

"Janine!" Abe roars, angered.

Mom looks at the ground guiltily. After a few moments of awkward, intense silence, Paul clears his throat and continues.

**" "Love you too, Mom," I muttered, shutting it all down.**

When I went to bed afterward, I passed out before even hitting the pillow, and just as Dimitri had predicted,"

"You doubted me, _Milaya_?" Dimitri asks, feigning hurt.

I just smack his chest as I laugh, "You know the answer to that very well, Comrade."

I wink which made his eyes darken and I grin at him in smug satisfaction, taking notice of it.

**"I felt ten times worse when I woke up the next morning. Lying there in bed, I reconsidered the perks of running away. Then I remembered getting my ass kicked and figured the only way to prevent that from happening again was to go endure some more of it this morning.**

**My soreness made it all that much worse, but I survived the before-school practice with Dimitri and my subsequent classes without passing out or fainting.**

At lunch, I dragged Lissa away from Natalie's table early and gave her a Kirova-worthy lecture about Christian –"

"And she would know. She has all of her lectures, memorized. Right down to Kirova's annoying voice. Isn't that right, Rose?" Eddie asks with a grin.

I laugh a little, nodding, "Yeah, Mase and I used to have so much fun recounting those."

I finished with a sad smile that Eddie returned with a pained one. I needed to figure this ghost thing out, I needed to tell Eddie that Mase wasn't entirely gone, or I might die of guilt.

**"Particularly chastising her for letting him know about our blood arrangement. If that got out, it'd kill both of us socially and I didn't trust him not to tell."**

"Gee, Thanks, Rosie." Firefly mutters, but it ignored, much to his annoyance – if his scowl is any indication.

**"Lissa had other concerns."**

"Like what?" The entire room choruses, in sync.

"If you would all shut up and listen, you'd know, now wouldn't you?" I snap. I was getting really tired, really fast.

"Roza…" Dimitri began tentatively.

I sighed, "I'm okay, Comrade. Don't worry, I'm just tired."

Dimitri nods his head in understanding and readjusts our position so that now I'm cradled in his lap with my head in the crook of his neck.

**" "You were in my head again?" she exclaimed. "For that long?"**

"I didn't do it on purpose," I argued. "It just happened. And that's not the point. How long did you hang out with him afterward?"

**"Not that long. It was kind of…fun." "**

Rose could see Pyro grin smugly at that. _Oh, that probably made his day._

" **"Well, you can't do it again. If people find out you're hanging out with him, they'll crucify you." I eyed her warily.**

**"You aren't, like, into him, are you?"**

She scoffed. "No. Of course not. " "

_"Hey!"_ Christian exclaims, offended.

"Oh, give it a rest, Fire Crotch."

"Easy for you to say, you don't have to listen to Dimitri reject you." He shot back, only for Dimitri and me to flinch.

"Wrong. I'll have to hear Dimitri reject me…oh, let's see how many times. There's the time after the charm, Winter break – lots of times in winter break, actually -, then there's -" But I get cut off.

"Roza…Don't." Dimitri chokes out, pained.

"Don't recount all the times I hurt you, _Milaya. Please._"

I sigh and lean closer to him, in reassurance, "I'm sorry, Dimitri. I just wanted to let Christian know that he was wrong. And, for the record, Dragon Ass, that wasn't a rejection; Just denial. There's a difference."

"I'm sorry, Rose. I didn't know." Christian says, managing to sound earnest.

I simply wave it off.

**" "Good. Because if you're going to go after a guy, steal Aaron back." He was boring, yes, but safe. Just like Natalie. How come all the harmless people were so lame? Maybe that was the definition of safe."**

"Not everything safe is lame, Rose." Sydney says.

"I didn't say that, I used harmless. You know, like you. You aren't lame – never were -, but apparently, you aren't harmless either." I wink.

This causes a fit of laughter to erupt around the room, making me smirk in satisfaction.  
**  
"She laughed. "Mia would claw my eyes out." "**

Mia groans lightly at that.

" "We can take her. Besides, he deserves someone who doesn't shop at Gap Kids." "

This time, Mia's groan was louder and more annoyed, than guilty.

**" "Rose, you've got to stop saying things like that."**

**"I'm just saying what you won't."**

"She's only a year younger," said Lissa. She laughed. "I can't believe you think I'm the one who's going to get us in trouble."

Smiling as we strolled toward class, I gave her a sidelong glance. "Aaron does look pretty good though, huh?" "

"_See?_ How can you believe her when you have proof that she's talking about how good-looking another guy is?" Sonya hisses, glaring at me.

Dimitri growls, "Sonya, let it go. If you can't accept this, then don't. But, don't you dare imply anything about my Roza."

"Oh, and if this counts…this is the time period when I don't like Dimitri." I say, frowning defensively.

Sonya just rolls her eyes, "Whatever."

**"She smiled back and avoided my eyes. "Yeah. Pretty good.""**

Christian frowns at this, making Liss and I laugh.

" "Ooh. You see? You should go after him."

"Whatever. I'm fine being friends now."

"Friends who used to stick their tongues down each other's throats." "

"A little hypocritical, don't you think Rose?" Mia smirks, gesturing to Adrian and me.

I just laugh and shrug it off, "Way before that happened."

"She rolled her eyes.

"Fine." I let my teasing go. "Let Aaron stay in the nursery school. Just so long as you stay away from Christian. He's dangerous." "

"Really? You think I'm dangerous? Do I scare you, Rosie?" Christian taunts, smirking.

"You wish. I meant it differently. " I say in a final, condescending tone.

" "You're overreacting. He's not going Strigoi."

"He's a bad influence."

She laughed. "You think I'm in danger of going Strigoi?"

She didn't wait for my answer, instead pushing ahead to open the door to our science class. Standing there, I uneasily replayed her words and then followed a moment later."

"You were thinking about me." Sonya states, gasping.

I simply nod, leaving it at that**.**

**"When I did, I got to see royal power in action. A few guys - with giggling, watching girls - were messing with a gangly-looking Moroi. I didn't know him very well, but I knew he was poor and certainly not royal."**

"Jerks," I hear Vika mumble and Mia nods in agreement.

** "A couple of his tormentors were air-magic users, and they'd blown the papers off his desk and were pushing them around the room on currents of air while the guy tried to catch them.**

My instincts urged me to do something, maybe go smack one of the air users."

"Oh, Roza. What am I gonna do with you?" Dimitri asks, smiling fondly at me.

I grin back cheekily, "I could give you some ideas." I say, waggling my eyebrows.

"Okay, stop. This is still my baby girl, Belikov, so keep it in your pants." Abe snaps, frowning.

"Oh, relax, Old Man. I'm an adult now."

"You'll always be my little girl, kiz." Abe says.

I smile at him, "I know, dad."

I swear his smile was wider than I've ever seen it, and that's sayin something, because I've seen the Big Bad Mob Boss smile a lot.

**"But I couldn't pick a fight with everyone who annoyed me,"**

"Is this _Rose Hathaway_ talking?" Ask most of the people around the room, after a series of gasps.

"Read on, you'll get it." I say dismissively.

**"And certainly not a group of royals - especially when Lissa needed to stay off their radar."**

"Oh," Chorus the people in the room, followed by a series of comments,

"Should've known,"

"Figures,"

"Well, that explains it,"

"Oh, Thank Heavens, I was worries for a second."

** "So I could only give them a look of disgust as I walked to my desk. As I did, a hand caught my arm. Jesse."**

Dimitri growled deeply at this, making me chuckle and kiss his jaw.

"Hey, Belikov; what do you have against that Zeklos kid?" Adrian asks.

"You'll see," Dimitri growls, he still hadn't gotten over the 'me-half-naked', and rumors thing.

" "Hey," I said jokingly. Fortunately, he didn't appear to be participating in the torture session. "Hands off the merchandise." "

"Yeah, because Dimka here seems about ready to kill this guy." Viktoria says, laughing.

"He flashed me a smile but kept his hand on me."

Dimitri's glare hardened on the book; I wonder how he'd react to the lounge? Or how my parents would react?

_Heh, this might actually be fun,_ I grin internally.

" **"Rose, tell Paul about the time you started the fight in Ms. Karp's class."**

I cocked my head toward him, giving him a playful smile. "I started a lot of fights in her class.""

Sonya laughed, "Of course. How could anyone forget how much trouble you caused?"

"Sorry," I say sheepishly.

Sonya waves he hand, "Nonsense, you were always my favorite; you certainly gave me something to laugh about."

I grin back at her.

" "The one with the hermit crab. And the gerbil.""

"I, however, didn't appreciate that one." She frowns.

"I laughed, recalling it. "Oh yeah. It was a hamster, I think. I just dropped it into the crab's tank, and they were both worked up from being so close to me, so they went at it.""

"Little Dhampir, that sounds so wrong, on so many levels." Adrian says laughing.

I just flip him off, discreetly of course.

"Paul, a guy sitting nearby whom I didn't really know, chuckled too. He'd transferred last year, apparently, and hadn't heard of this. "Who won?"

I looked at Jesse quizzically. "I don't remember. Do you?"

"No. I just remember Karp freaking out." "

"Does anyone remember who won?" Paul pauses to ask.

"Um, I don't. Liss?"

"No, I walked out, remember? I was mad at you for that."

"Oh, right. Um, what about you?" I ask Sonya.

She frowns, "I believe it was the crab, the poor gerbil was actually bleeding. And yes, Rose it was a gerbil. Not a Hamster." She grins at me.

I just shrug and Paul, seeming satisfied, continues.

** "He turned toward Paul. "Man, you should have seen this messed-up teacher we used to have. Used to think people were after her and would go off on stuff that didn't make any sense. She was nuts. Used to wander campus while everyone was asleep." "**

I look over at Sonya, uneasily but she smiles in reassurance.

"I smiled tightly, like I thought it was funny. Instead, I thought back to Ms. Karp again, surprised to be thinking about her for the second time in two days."

"Well, I'm honored," She grins.

**"Jesse was right - she had wandered campus a lot when she still worked here. It was pretty creepy. I'd run into her once - unexpectedly."**

"How come you never told me?" Lissa exclaims suddenly.

"Or me?" Eddie adds.

"I…um, forgot to mention it?" I say with an innocent smile.

They both just scowl and turn back to Paul.

_Eh, They'll come around._

"I'd been climbing out of my dorm window to go hang out with some people. It was after hours, and we were all supposed to be in our rooms, fast asleep. Such escape tactics were a regular practice for me. I was good at them."

"I couldn't be prouder," Abe grins.

Mom and Olena both roll their eyes; I still wasn't used to the idea of them being friends before.

**"But I fell that time."**

"Hey, Roza…" Dimitri begins playfully, "Did you sprain your ankle?"

He finishes with a cheeky smile that is _so_ adorable. I laugh, "No, I don't think so. That seems to be you-exclusive."

We both grin at each other, only to be disturbed, "What on Earth are you two babbling about?"

"You'll probably find out soon enough in one of the books."

**"I had a second-floor room, and I lost my grip about halfway down. Sensing the ground rush up toward me, I tried desperately to grab hold of something and slow my fall. The building's rough stone tore into my skin, causing cuts I was too preoccupied to feel. I slammed into the grassy earth, back first, getting the wind knocked out of me."**

_"Ouch,"_ Say…well, I was too tired to keep track, but it was more than five.

" "Bad form, Rosemarie. You should be more careful. Your instructors would be disappointed." "

"Yeah, in her sneaking out, not her form," Alberta says.

"Though, her form can be criticized too," She adds as an after-thought, grinning.

_Is it just me or is everyone grinning a lot? Huh, guess this place _is_ good for us._

"Peering through the tangle of my hair, I saw Ms. Karp looking down at me, a bemused look on her face. Pain, in the meantime, shot through every part of my body."

"Is that how it felt when you lost your virginity to the Cradle Robber?"

Adrian hadn't even finished the sentence that the room yelled his name in unison, while I just hid my slightly blushing face in Dimitri's neck.  
**  
"Ignoring it as best I could, I clambered to my feet. Being in class with Crazy Karp while surrounded by other students was one thing. Standing outside alone with her was an entirely different matter. She always had an eerie, distracted gleam in her eye that made my skin break out in goose bumps."**

"Interesting way of describing, Rosemarie," Sonya smiles at me.

"There was also now a high likelihood she'd drag me off to Kirova for a detention. Scarier still."

_"Really?"_ Ask all my friends from the Academy, incredulous.

I simply shrug it off.  
**  
"Instead, she just smiled and reached for my hands. I flinched but let her take them. She tsked when she saw the scrapes. Tightening her grip on them, she frowned slightly. A tingle burned my skin, laced with a sort of pleasant buzz, and then the wounds closed up. I had a brief sense of dizziness. My temperature spiked. The blood disappeared, as did the pain in my hip and leg."**

I sensed feelings of hurt and discomfort from the bond, "What's wrong, Liss?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing it's silly."

I just give her my sternest look,

"Oh, fine; it's just that I always thought I was the only one who ever healed you." She mumbles.

"_You are_, at least when it counts." I say, looking at her meaningfully.

"Gasping, I jerked my hands away. I'd seen a lot of Moroi magic, but never anything like that."

"So this was before the bond was formed?" Sydney asks in an analyzing tone.

I nod absently, yawning.  
**  
" "What…what did you do?"**

She gave me that weird smile again. "Go back to your dorm, Rose. There are bad things out here. You never know what's following you."

I was still staring at my hands. "But…" "

"Take notes people; this is the great Rosemarie Hathaway rendered speechless, in awe." Christian says like a reporter.

"Did you just call me great?"

"That's not the-"

"Aw, Chrissy, Thanks!" I grin smugly at him.  
**  
"I looked back up at her and for the first time noticed scars on the sides of her forehead. Like nails had dug into them."**

Sonya seemed surprised by this, "You noticed?"

"Yeah…" I trail off uncertainly.

"That's remarkably observant; Mikhail was the only one who ever noticed them, and mostly because he could feel them."

I just shrug, "Yeah, well, you know...I was born to be an awesome Guardian."

There were several chuckles around the room at this.

**"She winked. "I won't tell on you if you don't tell on me." "**

"That is no way to treat a student!" Mom yells.

"Oh, and kissing them is?" Sonya B remarks angrily.

Dimitri glares at his sister as my mom flushes; Sonya just appears indifferent.

"I jumped back to the present, unsettled by the memory of that bizarre night. Jesse, in the meantime, was telling me about a party."

"Tell me you didn't go," Abe groans.

"She didn't," Dimitri says, sounding sure.

"Oh? How would you know?"

"Because Boyfriend over there crashed the party after an hour or so," Mia grumbles.

"After our training session," I state in understanding.

Dimitri nods at me.

" "You've got to slip your leash tonight. We're going up to that spot in the woods around eight thirty. Mark got some weed.""

Mom groans, not so silently, at this.  
**  
"I sighed wistfully, regret replacing the chill I'd felt over the memory of Ms. Karp. "Can't slip that leash. I'm with my Russian jailer.""**

"Feeling the love, Roza. Feeling the Love," Viktoria says, laughing like a mad Hyena on drugs.

"How many more nicknames did you have for me Roza?" Dimitri asks, amused.

"Oh, you know…Just a couple, you might find a few in these books," I wink at him.

"He let go of my arm, looking disappointed, and ran a hand through his bronze-colored hair. Yeah. Not being able to hang out with him was a damned shame."

"Need I even point it out?" Sonya growls.

"Give it a rest, Sonya." Dimitri glares at her.

I begin rubbing my hands on his shoulders to get rid of the tensions, succeeding in calming him down.

Sonya just huffs and turns to glare the opposite wall, her arms crossed defensively.

_I'm getting in between Dimitri and his family_. The realization is painful.

** "I really would have to fix that someday."**

Dimitri groans, "It gonna be in here, isn't it?"

"I think so, Comrade." I say, giggling as he groans and buries his head in the curve of my neck.

**" "Can't you ever get off for good behavior?" he joked.**

**I gave him what I hoped was a seductive smile**"

Sonya looked like she wanted to comment, but she just clutched her fists and remained silent.

** "As I found my seat. "Sure," I called over my shoulder. "If I was ever good."**

"And we all know how very unlikely _that_ is." Comes a voice that makes nearly everyone tense up.

We all turn around, creepily in sync, and face the one person that I'm sure most of the people in this room would like to be dead.

We come face-to-face with a scarred face, a mane of thick Black hair and piercing Blue eyes.

Natasha Ozera.

* * *

**So, I'm too lazy to ask questions, but tell me what you guys thought of Paul and Zoya. I love those two! ^^ Oh, and of course the reactions. Throw in other detail too. :3**

**Review! ^^**


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